


Of Spiked Clubs and Poised Fangs

by Kiyana



Series: Of Street Races and Spider Legs [4]
Category: Initial D
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-05-13 23:24:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 34,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19261264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiyana/pseuds/Kiyana
Summary: Had you told Takumi, months ago, that he would be active in the street racing scene, happy and in a courtship, he would have likely gave you a chuckle and walked away. But here he was, the fastest on Akina, currently undefeated, in the beginning stages of a courtship with the most wonderful Oni he ever had the pleasure of meeting. To him, everything was perfect. His peace is disturbed, though, when news reaches his ears of someone crossing lines in his territory, and he is dragged into another wild experience.Just what is it with fate making life for the poor Jorōgumo hectic?Set in Stage 2. I recommend you read Of Street Races and Spider Legs before beginning this one.





	1. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the second stage opens the curtains.

Takumi was silent, watching as Itsuki drove intently down the highway, his pedipalps twitching once then falling still. Sometimes Itsuki would open his mouth and let out an excited sound as he turned, not throwing the 85 into any crazy motions but obviously pretending he was.

“Hey, Takumi?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m getting used to the 85, and it makes me realize that she’s pathetically slow going uphill. She needs more horsepower.”

“Really now?” to get more horsepower, he would have to replace parts of his engine and do a multitude of tune-ups, that’s what Keisuke had told him at least.

“Yeah! I’ve secretly been thinking of adding a turbocharger to her, turn her into a super-fast car!”

“You can add turbo now?” Takumi questioned, sounding intrigued, his pedipalps shifted as a clue-in and Itsuki smiled as he caught it. “I thought turbo could only come with a car once you bought it.”

“Oh, it does!” Itsuki responded, his gaze turning back to the road. “But there’s this thing called a ‘bolt-on turbo’ that can be added after you buy it, if you want to of course. Turbo is the easiest way to add speed to your car, isn’t it?” Itsuki let out an eager noise. “Imagine, my 85 with a turbocharger, going as fast as drivers in an S13 or 180 on a course! Everyone would be stunned!” he let out an excited giggle. “Ohhh! Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps!” Takumi chuckled as Itsuki forgot himself and sped around the next corner. He took a glance in the rear view and caught sight of a white car coming around the corner as well and speeding closer to them.

“Ah, Itsuki, move over! Someone’s coming up really fast!” Itsuki choked and began to pull towards the opposite lane. “No! The other way!” they didn’t have time to fix themselves as the white car sped by, and Itsuki let out another choked sound, this time sounding distressed.

“THAT’S A LAN-EVO!”

“... Lan-Evo?” Takumi echoed questioningly, watching the car before them shift before it turned. “What odd movement.” both were silent as the Lan-Evo took two more turns and sped off wildly.

“Did you see that acceleration!?” Itsuki exclaimed, looking overwhelmed.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen anything like that before.” maybe Keisuke has.

“The engine is only 2000 cc, but it’s got 280 horsepower. That’s what turbo can do for you. It also has four-wheel drive.” it suddenly clicked for Takumi, the movement was because of the four-wheel drive, four tires handling anything that two tires can’t. It made sense.

“You know a lot about cars.” Takumi said, smiling at his friend, his pedipalps shifting again. “It’s impressive.” Itsuki blushed.

“Shut it, you great big spider, it is not!” Itsuki exclaimed, flushing deeper when Takumi laughed at him.

They pulled over at a rest stop overlooking a river, Takumi’s eyes taking in the Lan-Evo parked close by, then moving away in favor of the vending machine.

“That Lan-Evo is here too, oh I don’t like this.” Itsuki groused, sweating. Takumi repressed his pedipalps and began to unbuckle. “Do you think they’re from a racing team?”

“Don’t worry about them.” Takumi responded, placing a hand on the door handle. “I’m gonna go get some coffee, you want some?” that seemed to make Itsuki perk happily as he opened the door and got out.

“Yes! Yes please!” he called eagerly as Takumi shut the door behind him and stretched, pulling the leather jacket closer to himself. He loved the thing, hardly ever took it off after Keisuke gave it to him. It was his trophy, his prize, and Spider said that it clearly marked that he was taken, as a leather jacket looks slightly out of place on Takumi’s slightly plain and soft facade. It was a plus that Keisuke liked seeing him in it. He turned and walked towards the vending machine, pulling his wallet out of the jacket’s pocket and putting in the correct amount for two coffees. As he waited for them to dispense, his thoughts drifted. Nejibana had grown attached to Keisuke in the short time they’ve been together, to the point that she nearly preferred spending her time with him over her master. Takumi didn’t half mind, it was wonderful that she approved of his mate thus much, but sometimes he missed her witty banter and commentary. The sound of the cans dispensing pulled him out of his thoughts and he bent over to grab them.

“... and this route is much shorter.” he heard Itsuki say as he grabbed the cans and turn around, starting his way back over.

“I see.” the man he was speaking to turned his head in the direction Itsuki had pointed. “Thanks a lot.” he turned back to Itsuki and grinned, causing slight anxiety to run down Takumi's spine.

 ** _‘They don’t seem the polite type.’_** Spider finally spoke up, prompting Takumi to turn his gaze to the Lan-Evo and catch sight of another male, this one with a bandana around the top of his head.

“By the way, let me ask you something.”

“Huh?”

“Would you happen to know who the fastest driver here on Akina is?”

“The fastest?” Itsuki echoed, and Takumi nearly groaned. His friend was very proud of him, and was likely going to say something they would both regret. He picked up his pace. “The current fastest out here is Akina’s Ghostly 86.”

“What?” the man sounded incredulous. “An 86? Ridiculous. You have to be joking.”

“You must not be from around here, then.” Itsuki smiled. “Akina’s 86 hasn’t lost a single race since it’s recent debut. Everyone who’s come to race it has lost.”

“They must have been terrible drivers!” the man exclaimed, just as Takumi came up to stand beside Itsuki. “The 86 is a total junker, racing one is completely below me!” Itsuki’s face began to flush red and Takumi, despite feeling the same way, set a hand on his shoulder, silencing him by putting one of the coffees in his face and hoping that he got the hint. Thankfully, he did.

“Oh, thank you.” he said softly, taking the can and looking down.

“Akina’s Ghostly 86 has taken on an FC, an FD, a GT-R, an EG6, a Sleighty, and an S14, and hasn’t lost against any of them.” Takumi stated, his voice distant and nearly toneless, his way of expressing his displeasure as Spider clicked angrily in his head. “It isn’t wise to underestimate any opponent, no matter what car they drive.” the man laughed at him.

“The only way an 86 could have won any race is if their opponents were terrible.” he said, amused. The other man looked just as humored.

“They were the top racers of this prefecture!” Itsuki suddenly snapped, and Takumi’s grip on his shoulder tightened.

“Itsuki, stop. Clear your head. The more angry you get, the more mistakes you make.”

“You should as well, Seiji.” the other man said, causing the first man, Seiji, to turn and look at him. “We didn’t come here to pick pointless fights.” he walked up to them, looking vaguely apologetic. “Sorry about my friend here, he has too big of a mouth for his own good.” Takumi stared at him unblinkingly for a moment, causing the two strangers to shift uncomfortably.

“It’s alright, I guess.” he finally responded, turning his gaze to Itsuki, who was nursing his coffee in an attempt to calm down.

“I just have one thing to say, so you won’t misunderstand.” he continued, and Takumi turned his gaze back to him. “While we didn't mean to insult that 86 driver and I’m sure his technique is great, the car itself is no longer good enough.”

 ** _‘Close minded insects.’_** Spider hissed. He was just as attached to Bunta’s 86 as Takumi.

“That’s right!” Seiji needlessly exclaimed, nearly flinching when Takumi’s piercing gaze turned on him. “You tell that to it’s driver!” the two males began their way back towards the Lan-Evo, and Seiji turned back. “You also tell him that we might let him race us if he drives a more powerful car! It’s shameful that those cars you mentioned were beaten by some punk in an 86!”

“I’ll be sure to send your regards along to all of the drivers involved.” Takumi gave him a fake, cruel smile, and Seiji flinched, the other man as well when he turned to see what was going on. “I’m sure they’ll just adore your kind words.” he dropped the smile and turned back to Itsuki, allowing the two to quickly escape down the road.

 ** _‘We will wrap them up and drain them dry when we next meet.’_ **Spider snarled, and Takumi firmly told him that wasn’t happening.

“DAMN IT! I’M SO PISSED OFF!” Itsuki exploded, throwing down his empty coffee can. Takumi watched it bounce harshly against the ground. “How were you able to talk to them so calmly!?”

“I’ve learned that my anger is violent, so I repress it to avoid anything escalating. I will admit, they were too cocky for their own good.”

 

~0~

 

Takumi hardly said a word as he parked his 86 near Keisuke’s FD, registering that it was odd for his mate to be visiting the shop but not complaining. He entered the shop, waving at his dad, who greeted him with a _“Your mate is up in your room. No funny business.”_ as he walked up the stairs.

In his room, he let out a sigh of agitation as he sat on his bed beside a curious Keisuke and flopped over into his lap. The blonde laughed and ran his fingers through the brunet’s hair, eliciting a round of clicks that they have since learned was the Jorōgumo version of a purr. His pedipalps came forth and his legs relaxed at his side as Keisuke let out an appeased rumble

“You seem tense.” Keisuke commented easily, the red orb in his green colored eyes unmoving and likely fixed on him. “Did something happen?”

“Two cocky bastards in a Lan-Evo.” Takumi responded. “Basically said that the 86 was obsolete and said that you, Ryousuke, Mako, Nakazato, Shingo, and even Kenta were all horrid drivers because your were defeated by it.” that made Keisuke scowl, accentuating his fangs.

“A Lan-Evo, huh?” he grumbled. “Aniki probably knows who it is. I’ll tell him about it.” he sighed and removed his fingers from Takumi’s hair, who let out a small whine as Keisuke pushed him upwards. “Let’s forget the Lan-Evo and go out. I know this little sweets shop in Maebashi that I think you’ll like!” as Keisuke walked down the stairs, Takumi stood up from the bed and smiled brightly, following after his mate.

The Lan-Evo was no longer on his mind, it was below concern and he wouldn’t continue to care about it, it didn’t deserve his focus, and never would.

He would come to realize, sooner rather than later, that he was oh so very wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHA! DIDN'T EXPECT THIS GEM SO SOON, DID YA!? Initial D has become such a passion of mine that I couldn't hold back from writing for too long! I had to get it out.
> 
> I hope you all stick around for this one! It's sure to be a wild ride!


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which plans are hatched and adversaries meet to talk

“A Lan-Evo, huh?” Iketani questioned rhetorically, looking slightly agitated. “Sounds obnoxious.”

“Oh, I was FURIOUS!” Itsuki exclaimed. “If Takumi hadn’t stopped me when he did, I would have flown off the rails! I’m still surprised he was as calm about it as he was.”

“I, for one, wonder if they’re the guys who challenged Thunder Fire.” Kenji spoke up, Takumi sighed from his position by the gas pumps as he filled a customer’s tank. Didn’t Kenji have a job or something? He was always hanging around during business hours. “That Emperor team, the ones from Nikko who only drive Lan-Evos. Cocky bastards, but they’re so very fast.” Kenji leaned towards Iketani and Itsuki, his face serious. “They beat Thunder Fire into the ground.”

“That news in and of itself has been drifting around.” Iketani said.

“Supposedly, they want to rule Gunma.” Takumi froze. Rule Gunma? They’d have to get through him and his nest to rule their territory. He quickly relaxed. “It’s very likely that they’ll show up here!”

“Are you serious!?” Itsuki exclaimed, looking distressed. “They must have been checking out the area yesterday!”

“A Lan-Evo will be really hard to beat.” Kenji whined, sounding slightly nasally. “Even if it is Takumi racing them.” as his customer drover away, Takumi felt slight annoyance at them dragging his name into things, but really, he should have expected it. He rules Akina, he’ll always get dragged into it even if he doesn’t want to be.

“Anyway,” Iketani started back up. “With them aside, we can never know when or who he’ll race from here on out. Because of that, we have to upgrade his 86!” Takumi widened his eyes as he turned his head to glance at them. Upgrade his dad’s 86? Would Bunta even be up for something like that?

“We should!” Itsuki was excited by the concept. “That’s what I had been broaching yesterday, adding turbo to the 86!” No he hadn’t, he had been thinking about adding it to the 85.

“That’s brilliant!” Iketani exclaimed. “I mean, brilliant for Itsuki! It’ll be easier for him to switch to a faster car, of course.”

 ** _‘Not happening.’_** Spider hissed as Takumi’s face twitched.

“It’s just that I can’t imagine him driving anything but the 86.”

“Yeah, we want him to stick with the 86!” Kenji cut in.

“YOU’RE BOTH CORRECT!” Itsuki cried loudly. “That’s the coolest part! He drives an 86 and he’s so goddamn fast!” Iketani and Kenji turned and began to approach Takumi, causing him to adopt a confused look on his face.

“You have to think about it!”

“I dunno about that.” Takumi began, sounding slightly exasperated. “She’s my dad’s car, I don’t really have any say in what happens to her parts.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Iketani wilted slightly. “I forgot about that…”

“Can’t we somehow convince him to do it?”

“What if we said we’d pay for everything? He wouldn’t object to that, would he?”

“I bet he’d love having his car souped up!”

“COME ON, TAKUMI! HOW ABOUT IT!?”

“If it were more powerful, would it’s fuel economy suffer?” Takumi asked, catching them off guard.

“Uh, yeah, sorta.”

“Then we’ve got no chance. Dad is the stingiest man you’ll ever meet.” that knocked them all off balance, Kenji almost falling over before they regained their balance.

“Don’t say things like that, it spoils our image of him!” Iketani exclaimed, looking hurt.

“He’s our idol, you know!” Kenji added, and Takumi felt amusement crawl up his spine.

 ** _‘They idolize our Sire?_** ’ Spider cackled. **_‘We almost pity them.’_**

“I have absolutely no idea how my old man could possibly be your idol.” Takumi chuckled, surprise etched on his features as his dad entered his mind. “So weird.”

“You guys shouldn’t waste your time trying to convince him of anything.” Itsuki said sadly, before he quickly perked. “We’ll just proceed with the ‘86 Power-Up Project’ ourselves!”

“Right!” Takumi sighed, feeling amused. They were deadset, huh? He turned and walked towards the store, leaving them to their plotting. Maybe he should call Keisuke and tell him about this latest scheme. That sounded like a good idea.

 

~0~

 

Ryousuke sighed as he leaned against his FC, waiting for one of his more cocky adversaries to arrive. He was slightly agitated with the man, he felt his wings shift beneath his coat and his tail tighten against his waist. He remembered feeling more agitated than this when Keisuke had come home from his outing with Takumi the night before, looking annoyed as he told him what the stupid man accompanying his adversary had told Takumi.

“A horrid racer because I was defeated by an 86, huh?” Ryousuke grumbled as the familiar thrum of an engine caught his attention. He looked up through his sunglasses, watching as the familiar white Lan-Evo pulled up in front of him and parked, and a man in a bandana got out.

“Long time no see, Ryousuke.” he greeted pleasantly.

“Ah, Kyouichi Sudou. I thought you were in the area.” he responded tersely as he removed his sunglasses. “Just what are you up to?”

“Easy there.” Kyouichi responded chidingly as his companion got out from the passenger side. “You should be nicer, we haven’t seen each other in over a year after all.” Ryousuke repressed the urge to growl at the ridiculous mortal speaking to him. “We’re here because there isn’t anyone to play with back at home. We came looking for some new ones, that’s all.” Ryousuke felt his agitation increase at the man’s tone. Who did he think he was, speaking to him in that sarcastic tone like he was too dull to detect it. “We thought we’d come and say hi to everyone here, since this’ll be our playground.” Ryousuke scoffed.

“How considerate.” he grit. “Do as you wish.” he turned a little looking at one of the trees before he turned his gaze back to Kyouichi, a cutting look that made the man sweat a little. “But know this, here on Akagi, playtime won’t be as fun as you seem to think it will be, as long as the Red Suns are here.” Kyouichi chuckled.

“You’re still just as proud as I remember you to be.” he commented. “I’m not the same person I was a year ago.”

 _‘Yes, a year ago you wouldn't have embarrassed a team by taking the sticker of their leader and slice it in half for spoiler decoration.’_ Ryousuke thought angrily.

“You beat me then, but now it’s my turn! Just as you broke my perfect winning record, I’m going to break yours!” Ryousuke began laughing uproariously, his slightly elongated canines glinting in the sunlight. Kyouichi and his companion were taken aback by it.

“You really are out of the loop!” he finally said. “I’m _so sorry_ to tell you this, but my streak had just recently been broken.”

“What!?”

“Because I’m such a _horrid racer_ , I lost to an 86 on a downhill course in Akina.” Kyouichi flinched, remembering those words. “I was considering retiring, but I don’t want you to think I’m running away, so I just might agree to a rematch and race you once more.” he pulled his sunglasses from his coat pocket and put them back on his face. He watched Kyouichi’s hands twitch, satisfaction climbing up his spine, before realization crossed his adversary’s features as it clicked. His jaw tensed and Ryousuke knew he was going to snap.

“Those kids were talking about… THEY HAVE A WAY TO CONTACT YOU!?” Ryousuke smirked.

“Those kids, one of them wore a leather jacket, right?” at Kyouichi’s nod, the brunet exhaled. “He and my little brother are… close.” he chuckled, deciding not to say anything past that. “I admire your enthusiasm in coming all the way out here, I’ll speak with the other teams and arrange for the course in Akagi to be free three days before the race.” he turned and opened his car door, getting in and closing it behind him. “Drive all you want, get used to the track. We’ll race when you’re ready, and let me leave you with this; on the three mountains does it lie, spinning it’s webs as it stares in your eye. You gain it’s ire and it’s too late, a web-bound cocoon will be your fate.” with a knowing smirk, he started his FC and raced off, leaving behind a shell-shocked Kyouichi and his livid companion.

“What an asshole, acting like he was superior and spouting bullshit! I’ll chase him down and tailgate him!”

“Seiji, enough.” Kyouichi snapped, getting his friend to immediately back down. “You won’t be able to catch him.”

“What? I won’t? But he looks so skinny and frail!” Seiji let out an agitated snarl. “He doesn’t look at all tough, and that outdated FC of his… he even lost to a fucking 86!”

“YOU IDIOT! DON’T UNDERESTIMATE RYOUSUKE TAKAHASHI!” Kyouichi snarled back, causing his companion to flinch. “I was solidly defeated by that outdated FC last year! He’s Akagi’s White Comet, never assume you can beat him, even less catch up to him!” his fist clenched. “For him to be beaten by a mere 86, it’s unspeakable. I wonder just what kind of driver sits behind it’s wheel.”

 

~0~

 

Nakazato turned in the middle of lighting a cigarette in time to see a line of cars come around the bend, all of them Lan-Evos and being led by a black model. He widened his eyes, having relaxed a little and allowed the split between his head and body to appear, and he quickly repressed it as he lit up. He watched as his whole team repressed their own creature forms as well, the Emperors are a purely human team, and the rules were clear; mortals aren’t to know.

The Lan-Evos came to a stop and their leader, Kyouichi, emerged from the driver side of the black one, looking oddly imperious as one of the white ones came to park beside Nakazato’s GT-R.

“I see you made it.” Nakazato stated, eyeing the train of Lan-Evos apprehensively. Kyouichi didn’t respond.

“This will be a one-race.” he said instead, and Nakazato barely heard Shingo growl quietly off to the side. “It’ll be decided by a hill climb.”

“Fine.”

“Then let’s not waste anymore time and begin.” he turned to look in the white car. “Seiji, are you ready?”

“Always.” as they began their marks, Shingo felt his heart throb with anxiety.

 _‘Something about this race doesn’t feel right.’_ he watched as the two racers sped off. _‘Something is going to go very wrong. I hope I’m wrong, please let me be wrong.’_

Shingo wasn’t wrong.

As the race progressed, Nakazato made sure to keep ahead of his opponent. But when they came to a corner halfway through the track, he was suddenly overtaken by the Lan-Evo, causing outrage to fly through him as his neck split open and began oozing wildly.

“I WON’T LET HIM WIN!” he howled, the GT-R huffing angrily in agreement as they came up to the next corner. But as he flew into a drift, the GT-R let out a sound of terror as the tires slipped and they began to grind against the stone wall. Both Nakazato and his mount let out twin screeches of pain and fear as he tried to pull away, before a crack in the wall sent them spinning to a stop on the middle of the road. Nakazato panted, his eyes shaking as he realized what had happened, and he closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and curling up as his anger and self-loathing built to a fevered pitch.

“FUUUUUCK!” he screeched, his voice high pitched and hurt.

The crowd at the finish line all collectively winced when Nakazato pulled up, the side of his GT-R gouged all to hell, his left headlight broken, and a mirror completely gone. Shingo ran up, his eyes wide, and he sat a shaky hand on one of the deeper gouges in the vehicle’s side.

“Oh god, I know this would happen.” he muttered, wishing that it didn’t as Nakazato got out and pulled the sticker off of his car, carelessly tossing it as Kyouichi, who smiled and cut it in half, replacing the two pieces upside down on his spoiler with a gleeful chuckle.

“Soon we’ll have the spoiler beautifully decorated with the stickers of every defeated team in Gunma!” Seiji crowed, and Shingo felt outrage build in his gut when Nakazato flinched.

“You assholes shouldn’t start celebrating yet!” he snarled ferally. “There are racers faster than we are in Gunma and for you to lump them all together just like that is what gets cocky fuckers like you bounced through a guardrail and down a fucking mountain!” and in his head he vowed, he would see that through. He’d be the one to cause them getting their cocky asses knocked to their deaths!

“Sounds to me like the cries of a loser.” Kyouichi said imperiously, looking down on them like a lion would ants. “Let’s go, Seiji.”

“Right.” as they left, they forced them into one more dirty act of submission; pull over whenever they see an Emperor sticker. Shingo grit his teeth, those fuckers dared act like they are above them on the food chain. His incisors grew and he began to grind them loudly against his lower jaw as he walked away and pulled out his phone, scrolling through the contacts.

 _‘Well, there was one at the top of hierarchy.’_ Shingo thought savagely as he clicked dial and put the phone to his head. _‘I say it’s time I called him in.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will have Kyouichi's head jammed onto a pike. I don't like him. At all. Soon it will be good bye, you two pint whore!
> 
> As a bit of explanation, your Sire, in creature terms, is your father. Your Dam is your mother.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the older and younger generations echo one another by standing in a circle gabbing about cars, and the Emperors decide to encroach upon territory not their own

“The Lan-Evo team defeated the Night Kids last night.” Kenji said, Iketani chancing a glance at Takumi to see him stiff, and twitchy. That was never a good sign.

“What?” Itsuki squeaked. “Seriously?”

“It’s all anyone would talk about this morning. Nakazato’s R32 crashed into a wall, it’s side got pretty messed up. The Night Kids are all in a wreck over it!”

“Yikes, that’s tragic.” Itsuki gulped, glancing over to Takumi as well before making eye contact with Iketani. Takumi likely knew and was trying to keep himself calm. “The Night Kids have been really getting the short end of the stick lately. I feel horrible for them.”

“I heard that the Lan-Evo squad is planning to conquer Gunma within a month. I’m positive they’ll come here too.” Takumi paused in his actions momentarily, tensing even further, before he forced himself to continue.

“What do we do if they come here!?” Itsuki exclaimed, sounding terrified.

“We’ll have no choice but to face them.” Iketani responded, sweating slightly. “We’re Akina’s team, if they challenge us, I won’t be running away. I’ve already switched the tires on my S13 to ones with better grip, and I’ve informed all of the SpeedStars.” Takumi smiled sunnily, like always, as he saw off the customer he had been working with. “Takumi!” the spider turned to Iketani questioningly before walking over.

“What?”

“They may challenge you specifically to a downhill, but despite this you aren’t pressured to agree-”

“If they come to me,” Takumi interrupted, his eyes flashing. “Denying their challenge won’t be on the table.” his fists clenched.

“I understand that.” Iketani said gently, holding up his hands as Itsuki and Kenji looked on in worry. “I just wanted to let you know that we aren’t pressuring you. Despite you being unaffiliated, your undefeated streak has become our pride. I’d hate to see it ruined going against a Lan-Evo, but you always run the risk of losing, no matter the race, and ultimately what you do is up to you.”

“I would really like you to keep winning.” Kenji said quietly as Takumi’s gaze turned to him. “That Lan-Evo is no joke, it’s like racing against a WRC rally car. It’s of a light build, equipped with turbo and four wheel drive. It’s got no real weaknesses.” Yuichi stepped out of the shop, his eyes locking with Takumi’s for a moment. “It’s a car that shouldn’t be allowed to race any pass.”

“I won’t be avoiding them.” Takumi repeated. “If they come to me, it’s their funeral.” Yuichi looked surprised at his words as Itsuki exploded.

“You really do sound like a true racer now!” he cried, latching onto his friend’s arm. It was enough to startle the spider out of his hostile mood and blink at him in shock. “I never would have thought you’d come around to it! I’m positive you’ll win if they challenge you!” Takumi smiled at his friend, before turning his gaze to Kenji and Iketani, who both looked bothered.

“That doesn’t sound at all wise.”

 

~0~

 

 _“Upgrade the 86?”_ Bunta asked, looking at Yuichi with surprise. _“This is out of nowhere, Yuichi.”_

“I’m sure it’s crossed your mind before.” Yuichi responded, leaning against a wall beside said car as he watched the arachnid bustle about in the garage. “Since your kid’s growing to be a fine racer, it feels like it’s about time for an upgrade so she can match him as he continues to grow.” Bunta paused in his actions and turned to look at the grim, frowning slightly. “Don’t give me that look, you overgrown arachnid, I’m not telling you what to do. I just want to know if you have any plans for her.” Bunta let out a sigh.

 _“Well… I guess her engine is getting pretty old.”_ he relented. _“She’s had it since before Takumi hatched. Won’t be long before something happens to it. Maybe it’s time we overhaul it.”_

“I thought so.”

 _“You know... I do have my hands on a new engine for her already.”_ Bunta smiled slyly as Yuichi’s gaze turned to him, filled with curiosity.

“What? You’re serious?” Bunta chuckled.

_“Of course. Happened upon it from an unlikely source. It’s an incredible thing.”_

“Incredible thing?” Yuichi echoed, obviously enthralled. Bunta smiled and put out his cigarette, shifting to a slightly more human form.

 _“Alright, come on, I’ll show you. Get in the car.”_ Tama hurried out from the garage, prompting Yuichi to bend over and pick him up before he got in.

“Is it really that impressive?” Yuichi asked as Bunta started up the 86 and pulled out onto the road.

 _“Trust me, Yuichi.”_ Bunta said seriously. “ _You’ll get the chills.”_

The drive to Suzuki Motors was shorter than Yuichi remembered it, despite this it wasn’t hard to miss that Bunta looked particularly eager as they got out. I didn’t take long for the grim to notice the vague engine shape on a pallet near the back, settled beneath a tarp.

 _“Go on.”_ Bunta said as their friend shut the garage door, allowing him to shift freely. _“Take a look at it.”_ Yuichi rolled his eyes and lifted the tarp, feeling his mouth go dry as his eyes grew wide.

“Bunta!” Yuichi exclaimed, looking at his friend. “How the hell… this is gold!” Bunta smirked, lighting a new cigarette.

 _“I told you that you’d get the chills, didn’t I?”_ he chuckled.

“I got more than the goddamn chills!” Yuichi exclaimed. “How did you even manage to get this!? And are you really planning on putting this in the 86!?”

 _“She deserve nothing less than the best, Yuichi.”_ Bunta responded. _“I’m excited to get it installed. Haven’t felt like this in a long time.”_ he chuckled. _“Almost too good of an upgrade for my idiot hatchling.”_

“So when do you plan on getting it installed?” Bunta exhaled, smoke swirling towards the ceiling.

_“We’ll see. A better engine won’t automatically make a car better. I have to adjust many things and fine-tune the footwork.”_

“With the right balance,” their third companion spoke up. “It’ll be an incredible machine!”

_“I’ll be testing it myself to find the best configuration. After that, it’ll be your help I’ll need, Masashi.”_

“You’re so damn stubborn, you old bug. We’ll never be able to compromise.”

“This feels like the old days.” Yuichi said, a pleasant smile on his face. The other two could practically see his tail wagging. “I missed it.”

_“There’s one more thing my hatchling hasn’t accomplish in that car.”_

“Huh?” Yuichi watched as Bunta inhaled deeply. “What’s that?” there was a moment of silence as his friend breathed smoke into the night air. “Stop stalling and tell us, Bunta!”

 _“Promise to keep it out of Takumi’s ears.”_ Bunta spoke, catching his friends off guard.

“We promise!” Yuichi exclaimed.

“Don’t hold out on us!”

 _“Then I can tell you.”_ Bunta answered. _“The one thing he has yet to do in this car is lose.”_

“What do you mean? Takumi’s tried his hardest not to lose!”

 _“Therein lies my problem. A winner has no true appreciation for upgrades like these. He needs to push the car to its very limit and realize that it still isn’t enough to win. The humiliation is a lesson he NEEDS to learn.”_ Yuichi and Masashi were silent, staring at their friend in shock as he puffed out more smoke. _“Until he learns that lesson, I refuse to upgrade the 86.”_

 

~0~

 

“At this rate, the spoiler will be covered in no time.” Kyouichi stated.

“If you think of it as a game, it’s ridiculously fun.” Seiji added. “I just wish we could race people more capable. What’s the next target, Kyouichi?” the entire team nearly leaned forward, eyes bright as they held their breaths.

“Akina.”

“The only thing there is that blip of an 86, though.” Seiji whined. “So boring!”

“If you’re too prideful to do it, I’ll do it myself.”

“What?”

“Kyouichi’d race him?” someone from the crowd echoed. “Why?”

“Our ultimate target is Ryousuke Takahashi of the Akagi Red Suns.” Kyouichi began. “Who was defeated by Akina’s 86. We head to Akina first, to squash it like a bug.” Seiji let out a long suffering sigh. “Akina Pass is a severe slope, perfect for my Evo III.”

“You’re kidding me!?” Seiji snapped. “He isn’t worth it. I’ll fucking take him if it’s what you want, Kyouichi! I don’t lose!” Kyouichi turned to look at his second. “We still need to keep the Evo III’s capabilities a secret, remember? It’s our trump card against the elder Takahashi brother, as you said it would be! I’ll race the 86.” Kyouichi smirked.

“Good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM A BUSY BEE HELLO


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a race is held and plans remain unchanged.

“Hey, Takumi.”

“Huh?”

“I recently bought another car magazine, it has a feature article on the Evo IV. Maybe you should read it.” Takumi gave Itsuki an incredulous look, prompting his friend to stutter as he came up with a response to it. “Y-You might be going against one here soon!” he reasoned.

“I really don’t want to.” Takumi groaned.

“Why? It’ll be a helpful read.”

“I wouldn’t know what to do with what I may learn.” Takumi responded, prompting Itsuki to let out a confused huff. “How can I make the 86 go faster? That’s all I can really think about without burning myself out. I’ll admit, the knowledge could be useful, but I can usually only keep my mind on three or four things while racing.” those things being the road, his opponent, and Nejibana, plus any tricks he has up his sleeve if he has to. “Besides, it doesn’t matter what car I go up against.”

“Have you ever considered upgrading the 86 with a more powerful engine?” Itsuki questioned. He thought for a moment, enthralling Itsuki, before he turned to him.

“Not really.” Itsuki came completely unbalanced and fell over in a heap, causing Takumi to snicker.

“Come on!” Itsuki whined. “I wanna see the 86 go faster, and it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade my 85 either!”

 

~0~

 

Takumi paused, his eyes locking on the familiar red Honda parked outside the shop, Shingo leaning against it and fidgeting nervously.

“Shingo?” Takumi called, wincing when Shingo nearly flinched and looked at him wildly. “How… do you know where I live?”

“Takeshi told me.” Shingo responded, visibly pulling himself together. “He’s what I’m here about.” Takumi sat on the hood of the 86, setting his bag on the ground. “He’s refusing to leave the house. He had today off and we had been planning on going out. He flaked, he never does that. He needs something to get him out of the house, seeing as I don’t seem to be enough any more, and I thought you-” there was a squeal of tires as Iketani’s S13 drifted into sight and parked in front of Takumi as Iketani himself exited the vehicle.

“Takumi!” he exclaimed, his eyes wide and amber and his teeth sharp.

“Woah, Iketani, what’s wrong?” Takumi asked, Shingo coming to stand nearby.

“The Emperors, they’re coming to Akina!” he exclaimed, causing Takumi and Shingo to lock eyes. “They’ll be here tonight, word is they’re planning on challenging you!” a wide grin split Takumi’s face, his fangs glinting in the light, and Shingo gulped a little at the sight of them.

“You think that’ll coax out your mate?” he asked, and Shingo nodded.

“Uh, yeah, that just might do it.” he responded, and Iketani looked at him like he had just realized he was here, baring his teeth territorialy. “Oh, lay off it, I’m not encroaching on your territory.” he waved them off and walked back to his EG6, opening the door. “Fate seems to have grown tired of Takeshi moping inside all day. See you at the race, I guess.” and with that he got in and drove off.

“He was in a mood.” Iketani growled, and Takumi let out a sigh of exasperation.

“So, the Emperors.”

“Oh! Right!”

 

~0~

 

“I still don’t know why you accepted their challenge.” Keisuke muttered beside Takumi, his arm around his waist.

“I didn’t accept it, not really. I said neither yes nor no. I’m still going to race, though.”

“They fucked with your nest and are encroaching upon your territory. I’ve heard it before. You really do have a one track mind.”

“I thought it was something you liked about me.” Keisuke smiled slyly at his mate, who smiled back.

“You know I do.” he responded, pulling Takumi close and prompting a giggle from the arachnid. He heard a faint false gag rise up from over where Kenji and Iketani were standing, and he ignored it.

“I’m glad you came out to watch.”

“Wouldn’t miss it, but this also means that you have to come out and watch aniki wipe the floor with their leader.” Takumi smiled toothily at Keisuke.

“I wouldn’t miss that for the world.” Keisuke mirrored Takumi's toothy grin, but before he could continue their banter, the crowd began to shift and grow active.

“Here come the Emperors!” someone shouted, and Takumi perked up from his spot beside Keisuke to watch them roll in as Iketani, Kenji, and Itsuki came to stand beside them.

“That white one at the front, it’s the one that beat the Night Kids. They say it’s ridiculously fast.” the group watched the Lan-Evo squad came to a halt, and Itsuki tensed up at the sight of the two men he and Takumi had met days before.

“I knew it!” he snarled. “We met them at Akina Lake!”

“Look at all these people.” the bandana wearing one spoke. “You all must be SpeedStars.” his eyes swept over everyone, before landing on Keisuke. “Except you. You look too much like a Takahashi to be a SpeedStar.” Keisuke grit his jaw. “I’m Kyouichi Sudou, leader of the Emperors. I’m sure you know why we’re here.” Iketani nodded. “We’ll accept any demands. Any number of races, any type, with any conditions. But if you fail to win even one race, your team sticker is ours. Got that?” Takumi’s eyes flashed as Keisuke’s arm fell from his shoulder.

“That is the one thing I will not be tolerating from this.” he spoke, stepping forward with fire in his eyes.

“Takumi-” Kenji was cut off when Keisuke put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

“Well, if it isn’t that kid in the leather jacket from the lake.” Seiji spoke up, grinning at him. “Who’re you to decide that?”

“Takumi Fujiwara, Akina’s Ghostly 86, lone wolf.” Kyouichi’s eyes widened and he locked eyes with Keisuke, who merely smirked and quickly flipped him off. “The SpeedStars will be left out of this. There is no team sticker for you to collect.” his adversaries grit their teeth.

“Come on, let’s just race!” Seiji snapped, walking towards his car. Takumi remained motionless for another moment, before he walked towards his 86 and started her up, pulling her up to sit beside the Lan-Evo.

“Seiji,” Takumi heard Kyouichi say faintly. “You have to take this seriously. Go with Simulation Three.”

“What? You’re joking, right? Against an 86?”

“I’m serious.”

“What sort of race shall this be?” Keisuke called, walking forward to lean against the 86, giving Nejibana the chance to climb out of his hoodie and into the passenger seat.

“It’s about time you came to see me.” Takumi muttered, and she clicked her fangs at him moodily.

“This won’t be one where a countdown is needed. The car with the lesser horsepower goes first whenever they please, that is our handicap for having more horsepower.”

“You alright with that, Takumi?” Keisuke asked as he leaned into the window. The spider shot him a bright smile and nodded, reaching for the shift.

“See you at the finish line, love.” he said sweetly, and Keisuke pulled away from the car as it shot off.

 _“ROLL UP THE WINDOW!”_ Nejibana demanded, and Takumi relented, shutting the window to allow her access to the dash as he drifted the first corner, the Lan-Evo’s lights grew closer and closer. Nejibana let out an irritated groan, and Takumi nearly bit through his lip.

“You seem to prefer trying to get spider dick over all else, dearest Bana.” he growled, obviously agitated, and Nejibana flinched. “Maybe you should have stayed at home.” she didn’t respond.

 ** _‘We wonder if Sire had to deal with this sort of behavior from Tama.’_** Spider commented. **_‘For now let us ignore our familiar, and focus on the race. We wonder who will win.’_**

_‘No one will know until we actually get underway.’_

 

~0~

 

“This is so fucking irritating.” Seiji growled, feeling his eyebrows twitch. He grit his teeth and growled as he followed the 86 into the next corner, feeling his tires slide side to side. Each drift was the same, he could feel his rage build higher and higher as he forced himself to back off when he began riding the 86’s bumper.

He was about to snap.

“Why does my Evo IV have to stay cooped up behind an ancient 86 like this!? I can barely step on the gas, it’s pissing me off! Full Blast is all I have in my dictionary! He’s nowhere near good enough for simulation three!” he could feel his blood pressure skyrocket, his anger climbed to hights he had never before felt.

Soon it would be too much.

 

~0~

 

“Keisuke?”

“Hmm?”

“Did Ryousuke come?”

“No. Aniki is at home.”

“Where did you go?”

“To see Takumi before the race began.”

“And you moved us here… why?”

“Aniki said this was the place to watch if I wanted to instead of hanging out by the finish line.”

“Well, it sounds like there would be a good reason behind that.”

“Of course, aniki wouldn’t have suggested otherwise.”

“You know,” Kenta spoke up, catching their attention. “Common sense dictates that the 86 wouldn't win this battle. After all, he’s racing a Lan-Evo.” he silenced himself with a gulp when Keisuke turned his gaze on him, his eyes flashing green momentarily.

“Don’t act like you know everything, Kenta.” Keisuke said defensively. “Isn’t it also common sense that your S14 shouldn’t be slower than an 86?” Kenta recoiled and visibly wilted at the jab, causing their companion to chuckle.

“Don’t torment the poor kid, Keisuke. That race turned out to be a great experience for Kenta.”

“Yeah, so?” Keisuke turned away, looking down the road.

Takumi would win. He knew it.

“If you overtake Takumi on this road, you’re as good as dead. That’s how everyone who has raced him has lost, including aniki.”

“If you jump ahead, you lose?” Kenta echoed.

“Right! Can you understand that paradox?”

 

~0~

 

“FUCK THE SIMULATION! I’VE HAD ENOUGH!” Seiji yelled, swerving to the side and speeding ahead of the 86. “I’LL BEAT THIS HUNK OF SCRAP WITHOUT IT! KYOUICHI WILL SEE! ALL I HAVE TO DO IS WIN!” as the 86’s headlights grew smaller in his rear view, he felt satisfaction run down his spine as his anger dissipated.

“I don’t know what Kyouichi was so worried about.” he snickered. “This is too easy. How he’ll see how outclassed he is, he’ll disappear from my rear view.”

 

~0~

 

Takumi clicked his tongue, slight irritation running down his spine.

“How fast.” he commented, watching him drift the next corners wildly and causing the crowd to scatter. He rose a brow. “Dangerous too. I doubt this is part of that simulation his leader was speaking of.”

 _“He’s putting the crowd in danger.”_ Nejibana commented, looking slightly more interested.

“Right.” he rolled his eyes, clipping the corners faster to catch up. “He’s getting desperate? Either way he can’t lose me like that.”

 

~0~

 

“My turns are so much faster than the 86’s crab turns. He’s likely not even a blip in my rear view.” Seiji chuckles as he glances towards it. “He’ll be-” he cut himself off, eyes widening in horror when he realized that no, the 86 wasn’t gone, it was still tailing him closely.

His heart dropped.

“WHAT!? HOW IS HE RIGHT BEHIND ME!? HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FAR BEHIND!” he snarls and turns his attention back to the road. “I see, he’s better than I assumed. He’ll never catch up to my drifts, though!”

He assumed wrong as the 86 followed him closely through each corner, never losing ground while slowly but surely gaining it. His teeth clicked.

“I see, my irritation wasn’t from being limited in my speed on the straights. No, the real reason is that I’m slower at the corners than he is!” he sneered. “It doesn’t help that the straights here are shorter than at home. A difference in power seems to not matter. But just you wait, little 86, you won’t be so close to me in the upcoming high speed section! You’ll never be able to recover! I BET MY PRIDE ON IT!”

 

~0~

 

 _“He’s faster than we first thought, master.”_ Nejibana commented, seeming to have put away her mood for the sake of the race.

“Certainly.” Takumi grit. “It’s bothersome. What a fast model of car.” he drifted his best like his life depended upon it.

_“We’ll have to pull out many of our tricks to win this one, and even then it’ll be a close one.”_

“Right.”

 

~0~

 

“He’ll be here soon.” Yuichi said, watching as Masashi yawned in exhaustion.

“You keep saying that,’ he said groggily. “But-”

“THEY’RE COMING!” someone yelled, and the two pulled to the front of the group to watch. The first by was the Lan-Evo, recklessly drifting close to the guardrail, it’s tires unmoving even as it grazed it. The crowd seemed enthralled by the drift despite this, cheering and making excited comments.

“The 86 is really far behind!” someone yelled, and they were right. Five whole seconds had passed since the Lan-Evo passed, that didn’t bode well. Everyone fell silent, though, as the 86 whipped to the inside and around the corner much, much faster than the Lan-Evo had. Everyone was shocked, until they exploded into sound.

“You see that, Masashi? That was Bunta’s kid.”

“YOU’RE JOKING!” Masashi exclaimed. “THAT LOOKED LIKE BUNTA WAS DRIVING IT! The sound alone shows how great he is!” he ran forward a little. “He was flooring the pedal for a long time, not normal eighteen year old has skills like that!”

“Like father, like son.”

“But… that kind of driving is hell on the engine.”

 

~0~

 

Takumi winced as he heard a moment of grinding come from the inner workings of the car.

 _“Uh oh, that didn’t sound good.”_ Nejibana commented, slightly spooked.

 ** _‘The heart of this metal beast sounds weary.’_** Spider commented as well. Takumi agreed with both.

“She can pull through for this race, then after we’ll check on her with Keisuke.” Nejibana bobbed, and Takumi quickly caught up with Seiji as he continued using the ditches. This race was nearly over.

He was running out of time to get ahead.

 

~0~

 

“They’re almost here.” Keisuke said, a cigarette balanced in his mouth.

“I wonder who’s ahead, the Lan-Evo or the 86?” Kenta commented. Keisuke remained silent. “Hey, Keisuke, you said earlier that the Lan-Evo would lose if it was in front.”

“I know from experience that he doesn’t let you run away with the lead. He’ll stick to you like super glue. If you get irritated and rely on your car’s power to shake him off, your tires will deflate. The key is always the tires and how you use them. Anyone who jumps ahead without knowing that will lose.” he turned to look at Kenji. “Takumi’s opponent looked and sounded like a hothead, this coming from me. It’s likely that his tires have lost pressure by now. He’ll lose focus and make a mistake, and that’s when Takumi takes advantage.” he turned back to the road, inhaling deeply and breathing out smoke. “That’s always how it goes.”

 

~0~

 

“My tires are losing pressure, I can feel it!” Seiji growled. “It’s becoming difficult to focus! This doesn’t matter, as long as I keep my lead, I’ll win! I’m in a much more favorable position than he is! No matter how he turns, he can’t pass me at any of the corners, and I’m faster on the straights!” sweat dripped down his forehead, irritation once again climbing up his spine.

Who know an 86 would be such a challenge!? He leaned back in his seat and forced himself to relax, letting out a rough sigh.

“I wasn’t wrong. Taking the lead was the right move. I’ll be the victorious one, Kyouichi!"

 

~0~

 

“Keisuke, I don’t understand one thing.” Kenta began.

“Huh?”

“Even if he sticks like super glue, how would he be able to pass an Evo IV with his 86? I understand that the downhill minimizes the power difference, but it doesn’t make the 86 more powerful. He’s still slower on the straights, and since they’re equally as skilled, it’s almost impossible for him to get ahead at a corner!” Keisuke exhaled, releasing a large ploom of smoke.

“You have to wait. I really don’t have to explain it.” he pointed the cigarette’s end towards the corner. “What’s about to happen right there is the answer to your question.” Kenta stared at the corner, confusion and irritation running up his spine.

_“I don’t get it. He CAN’T get ahead! It’s impossible!”_

 

~0~

 

Takumi was officially irritated. Seiji was fast, he’ll give him that, and it was a cause for constant irritation.

“He’s too powerful on the straights! I can’t stick with him!” he growled. “I’ve never felt this irritated when it’s come to a race before!” as he rode the ditch again, he noticed the ground he’s lost.

 _“Even the ditch run isn't enough anymore!”_ Nejibana wailed.

“We still have the secondary ditch run, Nejibana.” Takumi said, gritting his teeth. “What I have to know is if I’ll be able to catch the ditch correctly if I charge in at top speed.”

 ** _‘We can get it, we have good eyes for these things.’_** Spider reassured.

“We only have one chance!”

 

~0~

 

“I can hear their engines!” Kenta exclaimed as Keisuke dropped the cigarette and rubbed it out with his foot.

“I fear that Takumi might not win.” Keisuke muttered to himself, watching the two peer down the road like excited children. “I know he’s an amazing driver but.. What if Kenta’s right?” he shook his head. “No, bad Keisuke! Support your mate. He’s got this!” the two cars swerved around the corner.

“THE 86 IS RIGHT BEHIND!” he exclaimed, and Keisuke smirked.

“See?” he berated himself. “It’s fine.” he watched as Takumi dipped a tire into a ditch and accelerated rapidly, pulling bumper to bumper against the Lan-Evo before pulling up beside them.

“HOW’D HE CATCH UP TO THE LAN-EVO SO FAST!?” Kenta exclaimed, eyes wide and filled with excitement.

“It’s over.” Keisuke crooned with a chuckle, and watched as Takumi pulled ahead, his eyes watching his mate throwing him a wink and Nejibana waving her two front legs at him. A wide smile split his lips.

“That was incredible! What’s going to happen next!?”

“Nothing, it’s over. It was over when he pulled up beside the Evo IV. There’s not a single chance of passing him now.”

 

~0~

 

Takumi flinched as the harsh sound of a slap echoed in his ears, prompting him to lean into Keisuke as he peered over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Kyouichi.” Seiji grunted, tense.

“Do you have any idea why I’m mad, Seiji? Do you think you can explain why you fucking lost?”

“No. I dropped the plan, and then I wasn’t able to shake him off. I don’t know how that slow, junky 86 could keep up with me, or what technique he used!”

“Of course you couldn’t, just what can you see from a rear view mirror? You could have observed much more if you had stayed behind him. That’s the reason I wanted you to use Simulation Three! Had you listened to me, you wouldn’t have suffered such an ugly loss! STOP ACTING LIKE A STUPID MONKEY AND USE YOUR FUCKING HEAD!”

“... right. I’m sorry.”

“What do we do now, Kyouichi?”

“Our plans to rule Gunma are no more. Despite this, we’re still heading to Akagi. I’m still going to race Ryousuke Takahashi, plans or not. As long as I win there, I’ll be satisfied.”

“Come on, Takumi.” Keisuke said, catching his mate’s attention. "It’s late, you likely want to get home. You have school and work tomorrow."

“Oh! Yeah, right. Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE BITCH BET YOU THOUGHT IT WAS DONE


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which plans are hatched by an unlikely source and two old friends gossip about cars. Again.

“Takumi looks even more spaced out than usual.” Iketani commented lowly to Itsuki, both of them watching their friend stare off into the distance. “When he’s like this, it means he’s thinking, right?”

“Yes, as I’ve learned.” Itsuki replied. “He does have the rare bout of dissociation, but today I think he’s just thinking.”

“What about?”

“Don’t ask me that, I know the same as you on this one.”

“Which is to say, absolutely nothing.”

“Yeah.”

“So-” Iketani cut himself off as he heard the familiar thrum of an engine and Takumi seemed to snap out of his daze, his eyes glinting as he looked down the road in time for a jet black Lan-Evo to pull up and park. Takumi tensed and crossed his arms as Kyouichi stepped from the vehicle and locked eyes with him as he approached.

“You, Fujiwara.” the man began. “Why don’t you come out to Akagi and race me?” Takumi heard Itsuki nearly choke, and narrowed his eyes.

“A challenge?” Iketani asked, looking back and forth between the two.

“No,” Kyouichi said, his gaze turning to the two bystanders. “You guys likely don’t get what I mean.” he looked back at Takumi. “I don’t doubt that you remember what I said by the lake. You’re a talented kid, but as long as you drive that 86, you have no chance.” Takumi raised an unimpressed brow, Spider clicking dangerously in his head. “I want to show you what I meant by that. If you race me, I’ll show you things you’ve likely never seen before. You coming to Akagi either today or tomorrow works fine, if you decide to show that is. It’ll be like a test run, right before I face the Red Suns. I don’t doubt that you’ll be quickly defeated outside your home turf, but despite this, I hope you learn something new.” Takumi bared his teeth lightly as Kyouichi turned to walk back to his car. “If you understand what I’m saying, you’ll come to Akagi.” and with that, he got in his car and sped off.

“Bullshit!” Iketani snarled, his eyes turning amber. “Who the hell does he think he is!?”

“He was rather full of himself.” Itsuki grumbled.

“Remember, you don’t have to go, Takumi!”

“I know that.”

“He probably just wants to get revenge on Akagi!” Itsuki exclaimed, looking outraged.

“Probably.” Takumi echoed. “Despite this, it was an interesting proposition, coming just as I start feeling like I should try racing somewhere that isn’t Akina.”

“What?” Iketani tilted his head.

“If it weren’t for Akagi being ridiculously crowded for the upcoming race, I probably would have gone.” he was silent for a moment. “I’m still going to talk to Keisuke about it, though.” he turned and walked back towards the store. “Whatever, I’ll pass.” leaving his bewildered friends behind, Takumi walked into the store and straight to the back, where he pulled the phone off the receiver and dialed the number he knew by heart.

 _“Hello?”_ Keisuke’s voice echoed from the other line. Takumi could faintly hear the tapping of fingers on a keyboard in the background so he assumed his mate was in his brother’s room.

“Hi Keisuke, you mind putting me on speaker? Something came up.”

 _“Oh, uh… yeah, hold on a minute.”_ there was some fidgeting and the clicking sounds paused. _“Alright."_

 _"What’s going on, Takumi?”_ Ryousuke's voice rang questioningly.

“The leader of the Emperors came to my work just a few moments ago and issued me a preliminary challenge.” he said, and the clicking completely ceased. “He said that it wasn’t a race as much as it was a learning opportunity for me. Then he insulted my 86 again.”

 _“Are you actually thinking of accepting?”_ Keisuke asked, sounding distressed.

“This is why I called you.” Takumi responded evenly. “Even I know that you both will be there if I do, and that despite what he says, if we race, Ryousuke will be able to observe his style and pick up on flaws to exploit.”

_“But you might lose!”_

“I don’t see it as a race.” Keisuke’s protests fell silent. “Winning or losing doesn’t matter.”

 _“Takumi raises many good points.”_ Ryousuke spoke up. _“Kyouichi’s been keeping his skills hidden away as he’s been having that second of his race for him. The recent loss must be getting to him more than he seems to let on, to issue such a challenge to you when he knows full well what I’m capable of.”_

“So, verdict?”

_“Despite his attitude, it will be a learning experience for the both of us at the most, and for me at the least. You should do it, even if you don’t win.”_

“I know I won’t win. I barely beat the Emperor’s number two, and only did so because he made a mistake with me and it cost him.” Takumi sighed and leaned against a wall.

 _“... you should come out.”_ Keisuke finally answered. _“It’s the smartest plan I’ve ever heard coming from you.”_

“Rude.” Takumi chuckled. “It’s a plan, then? How does tomorrow night sound?”

 _“Perfect.”_ Ryousuke responded, and the clicking began anew. There was more shifting and the sound of a door closing.

 _“So with that out of the way,”_ Keisuke began, sounding closer to the receiver this time. _“How about we plan another date for after aniki’s race?”_

 

~0~

 

“I saw that kid of yours race on Akina the other night.” Masashi said, grinning at his old friend. “Considering how good he already is, the current engine will blow soon.”

 _“Much sooner, rather than later. Even he knows it, told me that the engine sounded just ever so slightly off to him after that race.”_ Bunta responded, taking a drag of his cigarette and exhaling a plume of smoke.

“What are you gonna do? You said you wouldn’t replace it until he lost.”

 _“I honestly hadn’t planned on him lasting this long.”_ Bunta admitted, one of his limbs coming up to scratch his forehead. _“He’s stubborn and refuses to lose.”_

“I wonder where he gets it from.” Masashi teased, and Bunta groaned. “Aside from that, which will happen first, the engine blowing, or Takumi losing? Either way, that new one is always ready to go.” Bunta hummed, deep in thought.

_“Likely, both will happen at the same time.”_

“The engine blows, which causes him to lose?” Masashi asked, eyes wide. “That’s a dangerous line of thought, Bunta.”

 _“I know.”_ the spider sighed, looking and sounding weary. _“Trust me, Masashi, I know, but it’s the most likely outcome. He got invited by that Lan-Evo driver to have a preliminary with him, as a learning experience. Likely just to prove a point to my kid about four wheel drives being better than my 86 or something. He told me he’s going to do it for the Takahashi brothers, as a way for the eldest to gather data on the man’s racing style before they actually race.”_

“Ah, that’s right, Takumi knows the Takahashi brothers. Did they ask him to do it?”

_“He came up with the plan and the two agreed, the youngest, albeit, hesitantly.”_

“How do you know all this?” Masashi was wide eyed.

 _“Takumi tells me practically everything pertaining towards a race he’s gotten himself involved in.”_ Bunta responded before taking another drag. _“I’ll admit, it’s nice knowing where my kid is just in case something happens to him.”_ he dropped the cigarette and stamped it out. _“Especially now when the 86 is teetering on an edge like this.”_ he sighed. _“I can only hope that when the engine blows, he doesn’t take it too hard. He isn’t built for these sorts of things.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter as I prepare for the big cry


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the spider attends a form of lesson he's never before experienced, and the Sphinx makes observations.

“Thoughts?”

“This course will be ridiculously easy.” Seiji groaned, popping his back. “I’ve got a strategy planned out and everything. Despite this, it was very annoying to see the Red Suns’ lackeys timing me at every checkpoint.”

“Just ignore them.” Kyouichi responded. “As long as you know the course perfectly, the strategy will be the same for any pass.” they were silent.

“You think the kid’ll come?” Seiji suddenly asked.

“Who knows?” Kyouichi turned to him, looking vaguely smug. “I’d guess there’s a forty percent chance that he’ll show up. It’ll be convenient for us if he does. I want to be done with that little chore before I race Ryousuke.”

“Right.”

“Our ultimate goal is still conquering Gunma, your loss hasn’t affected that. Once Ryousuke is defeated, Gunma will be finished. But if the kid doesn’t show tonight, I’ll never be able to sleep at night knowing that we let one escape in Akina.” he smirked wildly. “I’ll destroy that 86 tonight, and go into the race with Ryousuke well-rested and refreshed.” Seiji chuckled, but before he could respond, the revving of an engine made the two look down the way as the 86 drove up. “Showtime.” Kyouichi smirked, watching as the 86 parked and Takumi opened the door, stepping out in order to lean against the hood. “Thank you for coming! As promised, I’ll be your opponent.”

“Right.” Takumi mumbled, his eyes sharp, before turning to look at the spectators. “Let me make one thing clear! I don’t see this as a race in any way at all!” Kyouichi heard Seiji’s breathing hitch and he frowned as whispers started up. “I don’t know what you onlookers were told, but this is just a learning experience. The man I’m racing told me he wanted to teach me a thing or two about four wheel drive, and here I am, ready to learn just what it is he wants me to know.” he turned his gaze back on Kyouichi and Seiji. “So let’s not treat this as a race, alright? Let’s treat it as education with a kick.”

“Right.” Kyouichi responded. “But know that I won’t be going easy on you. It would be rude of me to give you anything less than my best.” Seiji suddenly noticed two things. One, Takumi’s gaze was edged like a knife, anger and dissatisfaction roaring behind them like a wildfire, and two, Kyouichi was oblivious to it. It was unnerving.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Takumi responded.

“Like before, we’ll start out with the handicap method. Which means you go first.”

 

~0~

 

Keisuke sighed, tempted to tilt his head to look up at the night sky but not daring with Nejibana situated there.

“The race will have started by now, Keisuke, look sharp.” Ryousuke’s voice echoed towards him, and he growled agitatedly.

“I’m as sharp as I’m gonna be, aniki.” he called back, and nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt his brother’s hand settle on his shoulder.

“Not sharp enough if Ryousuke could sneak up on you like that.” Kenta jeered.

“Unlike the both of you apex predators, I wasn’t blessed with advanced hearing, so shut it!” Nejibana clicked her fangs rapidly from atop Keisuke’s head. “I may not understand you, but I can definitely tell when you’re laughing at me, you little brat!” that merely made Nejibana begin to click at a higher frequency and practically collapse against him, but before he could speak against it, the roar of two engines caused him to look down the road in time to see Takumi fly towards them like a bat out of hell, Kyouichi hot on his tail as the two swung into drifts, the Evo III drifting wider than the 86. Keisuke didn’t have time to react as Ryousuke pulled him away from the rail, his teeth bared and gaze sharpened like daggers as he glared after the dark car. As the two sped away, the back of the Evo III flashed twice, accompanied by two loud booms, like two consecutive rounds fired from a shotgun.

“I don’t know what his game is.” Ryousuke growled as he released Keisuke, his tail slashing the air around him agitatedly. “That was stupid, even for him.”

“The Evo III’s noisy backfire didn’t sound like it was supposed to.” Keisuke said pointedly, snapping his brother out of his mood.

“Oh, I noticed that too.” he responded, his tail dropping back to a neutral position. “That Evo III seems to have the same system as a WRC rally car.” the dual bangs echoed in his ears and Keisuke’s eyes widened.

“A misfiring system!?”

“As much as it irks me to admit it, it’s an ingenious plan on Kyouichi’s part. It’s the best system imaginable for a turbo car on a downhill. Akagi’s slopes are much more severe than those on Akina and Myogi. After the start is a low-speed section going straight downhill for a short time. Controlling your breaking and steering rather than abusing power is the key.” Ryousuke let out an irritated huff. “He developed the technique he uses in the Gymkhana circuit, so he’s exceptional at slow corners.” his tail slashed the air again. “He’s certainly improved in the year since we last met. This new Kyouichi will be a tough opponent.” silence reigned over them for a while.

“Aniki,” Keisuke finally spoke up, prompting Ryousuke to turn to him. “You said you know how the man races, right? Just what is his style?”

“He’s a perfectionist.” Ryousuke was quick to respond. “He sticks with the basics and avoids flashy moves. He patiently tests his opponent’s weaknesses, and will always choose the most rational way to win.”

“He’s not one to self-destruct, then. That’s a big difference from Seiji.”

“Rationality is Kyouichi’s bible. It’s why he’s only interested in four wheel drive cars. Against an equally skilled opponent, he’ll make sure his car is better equipped to win the race. He’s like that.”

“You sound rather bitter, aniki.” Keisuke shot him a small smile. Ryousuke closed his eyes, a brow twitching.

“I… dislike him. I’m certainly not about to lose to him. To do so would be shameful.”

 

~0~

 

Takumi growled as the car behind him let out another bang.

“That firing sound os so goddamn noisy!” he snarled. “I can hardly stand it!”

 ** _‘We dislike that sound!’_** Spider yeowled.

“Exactly!” Takumi agreed. “Had I known it was going to be this annoying, I never would have come at all!”

**_‘We want to go home!’_ **

 

~0~

 

“The kid’s adaptability is exceptional.” Kyouichi commented, feeling impressed. “I know for a fact that he has no prior experience on this course, but he’s still racing at the pace far outmatching most beginners! It’s unbelievable instinct! If he wasn’t in that 86, he’d be giving me a run for my money.” he continued to watch the 86, curious as to how the driver’s mind worked, before he shifted his posture and focused. “No more playing around. It's about time I end this.” they drifted the next few corners, Kyouichi still feeling vaguely impressed by the skill the 86 demonstrated.

He wanted to race against the kid when he wasn’t restricted by that 86.

“We’re about to enter the flatter mid-speed section. Without that slope, he’s as slow as a turtle. I’ll pass him at the next ‘S’ turn.”

 

~0~

 

 ** _“Ryousuke! Ryousuke!”_** Kenta’s voice finally came over the walkie, causing Keisuke to perk. They had sent him on to watch from one of the checkpoints further ahead, one of the ‘S’ curve checkpoints, and he had immediately shifted and flown off. It was dark, and his deep orange scales were dark enough that he wouldn’t be picked out from the trees or the sky.

“Kenta, what’s going on?”

**_“The Evo III has taken the lead!”_ **

“WHAT!?” Keisuke yelled, Nejibana’s fangs clicking wildly on top of his head. He turned to look at Ryousuke, eyes wild. “Aniki-”

“Just like the Kyouichi I remember.” Ryousuke cut him off. “Choosing not to attack on the downhill and instead taking advantage of the 86’s loss of speed on the flatter parts. He could have taken the lead much earlier.” his ears flicked and Keisuke stared at them, surprised. When had they come out? “He’d instead waited until he had a surefire chance to pass. That’s the Kyouichi I remember.”

“Will Takumi be able to regain the lead? Will he even get the chance?” he felt Nejibana tap his head urgently and reached up, slightly startled to find that his horn was out in the open. What was happening? Was Takumi starting to run out of energy? Their disguises weren't supposed to start wearing off yet!

“Don’t ask me that.” Ryousuke sounded slightly choked. “You know the answer to that as well as I do.” Keisuke nearly snarled, kicking a rock beside him away, blinking when it bounced off the rail and left behind a very large dent.

“Thank the Outsiders this isn’t an actual race.” Keisuke finally responded. “Still, something about this doesn’t feel right.”

“Usually, the corner exit is the key for a turbo car, while it’s the corner entrance for an NA. That’s the theory of downhill racing.”

“But, with that misfiring system…?”

“Right. You learn quickly. The misfiring system makes both the turbo’s torque and the NA’s response possible. With Kyouichi’s technique, that Evo III of his becomes a monstrous cornering machine, able to enter and exit corners superbly. It’s the perfect build for a dogfight.” Keisuke’s tongue clicked.

“If this were an actual race, it would be tantamount to suicide!”

“You’d be right, if the point of this whole thing had been about speed.”

“Huh?”

“Think about it. Kyouichi has studied this course meticulously, while Takumi has absolutely no experience here other than that date you brought him on up here. There’s no question who the favorite for the outcome of this is.”

“Right…”

“I have no clue what’s going on in his head, but the 86 had an air about it when it passed. Takumi probably wants to blow of steam and is using my information gathering as an excuse.”

“Blow off steam…?” Keisuke didn’t like all of the things that implied.

“This isn’t his normal racing style, Keisuke.” Ryousuke turned and looked his brother in the eye. “It felt angry. A grudge seems to be festering in the back of Takumi’s head, and he doesn’t even notice it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's splitting the big cry in two because she's a little bitch who also wanted to provide content


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which something deviating knocks the spider astray.

“He’s seemed to have picked up the pace again.” Kyouichi observed, his eyes locked on the 86 before turning back to the road. “I’ll admit, this is turning out to be more fun than I anticipated. I wonder why he…” Kyouichi trailed off, his eyes locking on the 86 again as it hit him. “Wait, I get it. He doesn’t know the course, being behind me is advantageous to him as he can go full throttle and use any sort of queues I give off as to my actions to mimic me perfectly. He couldn’t go full speed while attacking because of this.” his eyes locked on the 86 once more as it followed him into the corner.

He smiled faintly.

“To be able to pull such things off in that piece of scrap… frankly, I’m amazed.” he tackled another corner and watched the 86 keep right on him. “We have an acceleration gap, but he must be turning corners much faster than I am to keep up with me like this. His control is miraculous for him to pull that off.” he felt a single bead of sweat roll down his cheek.

This was more of a challenge than he ever could have hoped for from an 86.

“Should I speed up now? If I do, it’ll strain the tires. Maybe waiting until the next straight for that would work better in my favor?” he paused in his thoughts, registering that he had been panicking a little there. He glanced at the 86 once more. “I already know what I should do, silly me. Changing the pace wouldn’t work out for me in the long run at all. That’s how Seiji lost, after all. A top-notch driver controls the tire strain, I’ll stick to the basics, and that’s how I’ll win!”

 

~0~

 

 ** _“The gap between the two is shortening, bit by bit!”_** Kenta relayed, and Keisuke perked at that news as he glanced up at his brother, who was merely looking out at the pass blankly. **_“The 86 is going faster than I’ve ever seen her go before! Faster than on Akina, even!”_**

“That would make sense.” Ryousuke finally responded.

“Aniki?”

“The mid-section consists of a series of mid-speed ‘S’ corners. In this section, only acceleration is possible between the corners.”

“Right.”

“The rest of the time is spent constantly struggling with G-force. With that misfiring system of his, Kyouichi is unbeatable in terms of accelerating out of corners. Because of this, Takumi has to compensate by entering these corners faster than his opponent. His only advantage here is the 86’s lightweight body. Utilizing it, he brakes at the last possible moment before each corner and practically abuses all four of his tires to achieve a maximum cornering speed. If that 86 hadn’t been like a ninth limb to him because of the amount of time he’s spent practicing and driving it, he would never have been able to achieve results such as this.”

“So he hasn’t given up yet, then?”

“I don’t think he can comprehend the concept of giving up at this moment. He’s become one with the 86, that’s all.”

 

~0~

 

Takumi winced as he heard the 86 let out another short, high pitched grinding sound, the third instance since this farce of a race had begun. He was still unable to figure out what it meant, what was causing it, and all he know that it couldn’t mean anything good.

 ** _‘We beg of the great metal beast, do not give in!’_** Spider cried, and Takumi had never agreed with the arachnid more. As he drifted the next corner, he gripped the wheel tighter.

“Even if I shorten the gap at a corner, he quickly widens it again on the straights!” he grit his teeth as the Evo III let out another bang. “That’s the power differential, I would assume.”

 ** _‘It can be said now that we have learned something coming from this faux hunt.’_ **Spider scoffed, and Takumi nodded. As they came up to the next corner, his eyes widened as he watched the Evo III suddenly swerve before swinging into a full drift, something that he hadn’t done before now.

“He’s changed his style.” Takumi grit his teeth, following after as best as he could and sweating profusely when the Evo III began to pull down the straight faster than he had seen before. “Maybe this is it… will I even be able to catch up?” the 86 slowly began to release that high pitched grinding sound once more, and suddenly everything around him fell silent.

A harsh, gut wrenching bang echoed throughout the inside of the car, the sound of something shattering accompanying the squealing of tires as the 86 flew out of control and Takumi immediately released the gas, instead jamming his foot on the brake as he tried to bring the car back under control. He spun, squealing backwards as he drifted off the road and onto a patch of dirt, likely added for parking or race observation, and slowly came to a stop inches from the guardrail. Takumi let out a shaky breath, pulling his feet away from the pedals and turning the car off as he opened the door and got out.

 ** _‘No…’_ **Spider whispered, and Takumi’s eyes were wide, beginning to water as he took in the 86. The front of the car was smoking fiercely, the edges between the hood and shell covered in oil and grime. A trail of oil was beginning to leak from under the car like blood pooling around a body. A hand unconsciously came up to cover his mouth as tears finally began to run down his face, and he barely registered the sound of the Evo III driving back up. There was a hissing intake of breath.

“I’m sorry it had to happen this way.” Kyouichi’s voice echoed behind him. Takumi didn’t move. “She put up a wondrous fight. Were she any other car, the two of you would have easily given me a run for my money. I’m sad she blew before the fun could really begin.” once again, Takumi didn’t say a word. Kyouichi sighed. “In the racing world, a blown engine means defeat. This isn’t a race, as you and I both said, but our game had conceded in my favor. Maybe with this you can accept what I was trying to tell you all this time. She’s dead, kid.” Takumi finally reacted, slowly turning to look at Kyouichi, his face tear stained but his eyes burning brightly with hatred and rage, his gaze red hot and burning. Kyouichi gulped, for once feeling like he’s overstepped his bounds.

“So what are you going to say? Bury her? Let her rot? You’re heartless and only see through rose-tinted glasses.” Takumi snarled, not sounding at all like the boy he had spoken to before the race. “She’s only dead if my father says she is, and I doubt he will.” Kyouichi felt sweat run down his back as he gulped once more.

“The engine is toast, kid.” he spoke. “I can see it without needing the hood to be open. She can’t recover from something like this. It would be better for her if you just let her sleep for good.” Takumi turned away to look back at the 86.

“Just go away. If you have nothing better to do than gloat, then you aren’t useful here.” Kyouichi grit his teeth at such a dismissal and rolled up his windows with a growl, before driving off. Takumi looked at the retreating car and opened his mouth.

 ** _“A curse upon you and your vehicles, may you lose every race you take part in nigh a single moon, may you feel humiliated to the extreme. A curse upon you.”_** Spider’s voice echoed from Takumi’s mouth, and his eyes flashed a pure red. The curse has been laid, so it was said, so it shall be.

 

~0~

 

Keisuke felt sick, having heard that gut wrenching bang. He knew what it was but he begged, oh he pleaded, please don’t let it actually be so. Kenta landed to stand between them, his eyes wide and horror filled, his own magics disguising them as Kyouichi turned the corner and parked before them, exiting the car with a slightly shook look on his face.

“Something wrong?” Ryousuke asked neutrally.

“I did what I planned to do. I taught him some things. It was only for fun.”

“For fun?” Keisuke growled rhetorically.

“It’s just too bad that the kid’s engine blew before the fun could even begin.” Kyouichi looked vaguely smug as Ryousuke and Keisuke both gave him wide eyed, horrified looks.

“HIS ENGINE BLEW!?” Keisuke exclaimed, oh he knew that it had happened but he had been hoping it hadn’t. He took a step forward, intent on throwing down with the jackass who dared look smug about the 86 dying so horribly, but Ryousuke and Kenta both stopped him, attempting to hold him still as he strained to get to him.

“If you came to gloat about that, you’ve changed more than I thought, and not in a good way!” Ryousuke snapped, causing Kyouichi’s smug look to clear off his face as he recoiled. “Our race will be pushed back to this weekend, now get out of here before Keisuke breaks free and caves your skull in!” it didn’t take much to get Kyouichi to flee after that, and when he was out of sight, they let Keisuke go and he rounded on them.

 **“WHY DID YOU STOP ME!?”** he roared, his own power overwhelming Kenta’s and the disguise dropping.

“BECAUSE IF YOU ATTACKED HIM, YOU WOULD HAVE LED US ON THE PATH OF BEING DISCOVERED! YOU KNOW WE CAN’T HAVE THAT! STOP AND THINK FOR ONCE!” Ryousuke roared back causing Keisuke to immediately fall into submission. “Now suppress what you can, before someone spots us!” Keisuke looked at himself and gulped, before suppressing his skin and eyes and shrinking to a normal human height.

“Sorry, aniki.” Keisuke mumbled, and Ryousuke sighed.

“It’s alright. I’m just as enraged as you likely are.” he got out his phone, scrolling through his contacts before he came across the right one.

 _“Hello? Who is this?”_ Bunta’s voice echoed from over the line.

“Hello, mister Fujiwara.”

_“Ah, Ryousuke. To what do I owe the pleasure?”_

“Do you have access to a tow truck?”

 

~0~

 

Spider sat on the ground before the 86, listening morosely as Takumi screamed and howled inside his head, pain echoing through him. It was an odd feeling, being the one out while in the human disguise. He heard an engine slowly grow closer but couldn’t be arsed to check or move.

 _“Takumi, what are you doing on the ground?”_ Bunta’s voice called.

**_“We sit here to stare and mourn.”_ **

_“... we?”_ Spider moved to look at Bunta upside down and smiled at him.

 ** _“Greetings, Sire.”_** Bunta looked taken aback.

_“So you must be the spider that lives in my kid’s head.”_

**_“Correct.”_ **

_“So where’s my kid?”_

**_“Where we were, lamenting.”_** Bunta approached the car, popping the hood to inspect the damage.

 _“It’s just as Ryousuke said, engine is completely busted. There isn’t any fixing her now. I’ll have to completely replace the engine.”_ Bunta finally said, before turning to Spider. _”Come on, help me get her on the truck.”_

The trip away from Akagi was nothing to report on, merely Bunta driving in silence as Spider listened to Takumi’s keens. It was getting harder and harder to listen to them.

 _“Are you crying?”_ Bunta suddenly asked, and Spider brought a hand to his face, the limb coming back wet.

**_“It would seem so. How odd, we’ve never cried before.”_ **

_“Can you tell why?”_

**_“It’s not hard to tell. Takumi feels guilty. He’s hurting and screaming and howling in our head and it becomes harder and harder to listen to as time passes.”_ **

_“Can you get him to quiet down for a moment?”_ Spider nodded and gently pressed his presence upon Takumi, causing his wails to fall silent. He motioned Bunta to say what he would. Bunta sat a hand on Spider’s head. _“You aren’t at fault for what happened, kid.”_ Bunta began. _“Her engine was older than you by years. It was expected that it’d give out soon, you just happened to be driving her when it happened.”_ Spider’s tears began to flow more heavily. _“We’ll replace her engine and fix her up good as new.”_ Spider felt shock run through him and words came from him before he could stop them

 ** _“It wouldn’t feel like the same car, it’ll be like driving a totally different vehicle!”_ **Spider clapped his hands over his mouth as Bunta sighed.

 _“I know, kid, but this is the only way to fix her. I know it won’t feel right, you’ll have to relearn how she works, but with her new engine she’ll be better than ever.”_ they lapsed back into silence, Spider pondering what a new engine meant while Takumi continued to mourn silently.

Spider didn’t care about the feel of the car, he just wanted her back on the road soon.

She was nest, despite being inanimate, and she was mortally wounded.

He hoped she would come back to life soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of the big cry. Uploaded at 4:50 in the fucking morning.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the spider is unstable as life goes on, and a race is held to avenge the memory of the 86.

Takumi shuffled out of the door, slowly walking down the road. His eyes glanced at the empty space the 86 once occupied, agony lancing through his chest. He hadn’t gotten any sleep at all since the engine blew, his mind preoccupied by what felt like the loss of a family member. He looked away and sped up, desperate to get his mind off of his mistakes.

 ** _‘You might not get through today.’_** Spider echoed gently. _ **‘If you need us to, we can mimic you well enough to stand in.’**_

“I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that.” Takumi muttered, rubbing at his eyes.

The walk to school did little to get his mind off of the 86, he rubbed his eyes once more as he changed into his school shoes and put his outdoor ones in his locker.

“Hey, Takumi!” Itsuki exclaimed, harshly patting Takumi on the back and nearly knocking the wind out of him. “You look perfectly half asleep, as usual!”

“Itsuki, it’s too early to be this hyper!” Takumi groaned. “Why are you so hyper anyway?”

“Don’t you remember? Tonight’s the race against the Emperors and the Red Suns!”

“Which one?”

“Huh?”

“Which one? Keisuke is racing Seiji and Ryousuke is racing Sudou.”

“Ah…”

“If anything, tonight is Keisuke’s race.” Takumi sighed and began to walk off.

“Wha- Takumi!” Itsuki yelled, running to catch up to his friend. “Aren’t you excited!? I know I am! You’re going right?”

“...”

“We should carpool again, like the last time we went to watch a race!” Takumi flinched, and heard Spider sigh before he was tugged back and the arachnid took his place. Itsuki noticed the change immediately. “Takumi?”

 ** _“Walk with us and keep your voice down.”_** Spider said softly, and Itsuki immediately fell in stride.

“You aren’t Takumi.” Itsuki commented, and Spider looked at the human.

 ** _“We are but we aren’t.”_** Spider answered passively.

“What’s going on with Takumi?”

 ** _“Last night was… painful for us.”_** Spider responded. **_“Takumi isn’t having a good time of it.”_**

“What happened last night?”

**_“We went to that little educational race, as a favor to mate and his egg-mate. The 86 kept making grinding sounds until it just… blew.”_ **

“The engine blew!?” Itsuki exclaimed, looking horrified. “Is it fixable?”

 ** _“Sire said that one of the pistons punched a hold through the engine. That isn’t something that can be fixed.”_** Itsuki let out a strangled choking sound. **_“He’ll be replacing it entirely.”_**

“Won’t that change its performance?”

 ** _“That has yet to be seen.”_** There was silence between the two.

“Who do you think will win the two races?”

**_“We will cheer on mate and his egg-mate. They will be victorious in their hunts.”_ **

“You think so?”

**_“We know so.”_ **

 

~0~

 

“What!!? Takumi lost!?” Iketani exclaimed, eyes wide. “So he actually went to Akagi!?”

“Yeah!” Kenji responded. “Their saying that the 86 just, stopped, during the race!” Yuichi winced.

“For one, Bunta told me it wasn’t a race.” he said, catching Iketani and Kenji off guard. “And two, if the 86 did stop, then it either got damaged, or the engine blew.”

“Well, no one really knows what exactly happened, no one except Takumi, who likely would have told Itsuki and the Takahashi brothers, and that Sudou prick. We’re all kinda in a panic over it.”

“Would you happen to know anything about it, boss? Mister Fujiwara is your friend after all.”

“No, he hasn’t really told me anything. Ah, hang on, I can call him and ask!” Yuichi reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, flipping it open and scrolling through his contacts before putting it to his ear. It rang for a little, before falling silent, prompting Yuichi to hang up. “He isn’t answering. Takumi’s likely at school still too.” his face fell. “It’s irritating that none of us know what happened!”

“We-” Kenji was cut off by the roar of an engine, and the all too familiar yellow FD pulled into the lot, parking as Keisuke Takahashi himself got out and started towards them.

“I know that Takumi is attending classes for today so I don’t have a real reason for visiting, but aniki and I got to talking and decided that we’d tell his friends a couple things as it’s likely he won’t mention it at all.”

“Tell us a couple things?” Iketani echoed.

“Whatever the hell last night was, it wasn’t a race, not really. Takumi made that very, very clear to the onlookers.” he sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. “Takumi’s… sensitive about what happened. Don’t mention it, racing, or the 86 around him for a little while.”

“Do you know what happened, then?” Kenji asked.

“Yeah.” Keisuke growled. “Sudou looked so damn smug about it, if aniki hadn’t held me back I would have-”

“Could you tell us what happened?” Yuichi interrupted, and Keisuke blinked.

“Huh? Oh, uh, right.” he cleared his throat. “The 86’s engine was old. I knew that. I didn’t think it was old to the point that Takumi’s racing style was strenuous enough to force one of the pistons to punch a hole through it.” a horrified silence prevailed. “The sound alone of it blowing was painful, and when Sudou pulled up to us, saying he did what he had come to do, looking so smug, oh I wanted to break him.”

“Is Takumi okay?” Iketani asked, his amber eyes shaking with worry.

“He’s as fine as he can be in this situation.” Keisuke responded, before closing his eyes and tilting his head towards the sky. “The whole thing was a fluke. Sudou was riding on Takumi’s engine blowing. It’s a coward’s plot and none of us are pleased.” he opened his eyes.

“Is something going to happen?” Yuichi asked.

“Tonight and tomorrow, aniki and I go into our races with the intent of avenging Takumi’s 86. I myself will be breaking my opponent’s nose when I’m done with him. Aniki, I don’t know, maybe he’ll let me break his opponent’s nose too.” his eyes flashed, before he turned and started back to his car. “The Emperors will rue the day they set foot on the three mountains.” Iketani and Kenji locked eyes, surprised, before Iketani ran over to the FD and caught Keisuke just before he got in.

“We understand. Good luck with the battles tonight and tomorrow, we’ll be rooting for you.” he said, causing Keisuke to raise his brows slightly. “Takumi may be a lone wolf, but he’s also an honorary SpeedStar. We may not be able to avenge him, but you and your brother most certainly can. The whole pack is on your side, make those assholes pay.” Keisuke nodded firmly, before getting in his FD and speeding off.

 

~0~

 

Takumi and Keisuke were leaned against one another on the ground, basking in one another’s presence. Takumi’s head was settled on Keisuke’s shoulders, his eyes bruised from a lack of sleep and his breathing slow and even, like he was on the cusp of falling asleep.

“You should really try to sleep, love.” Keisuke commented gently, feeling worried for his mate. Spiders, despite not needing sleep, still required short points of inactivity to build energy, and Takumi seems to have been burning the candle from both ends since the 86 blew.

“Can’t.” Takumi mumbled. “Too hard.”

“But you haven’t tried.” Keisuke responded. A soft whistle cut through his next words and he looked up to see Shingo and Nakazato approaching.

“Spider boy, you look like shit, like you might fall into a coma there on oni boy’s arm.” Shingo said smartly, and Takumi responded with a halfhearted growl. “And damn, you don’t even have any fight in you, I expected you to at least try and verbally flay me alive for my smart-ass comment.”

“Shingo.” Nakazato chided. “We both know you’d look just like him if you were in his situation.”

“Yeah yeah, I know, I know. I just don’t like him looking so fucking dead, Takeshi.”

“I know.”

“What are you two doing here, anyway?” Keisuke asked, and Nakazato grinned.

“We came to root for your brother.”

“We did come to your race last night,” Shingo cut in. “But didn’t get the opportunity to check in on you and Takumi, as you both left right afterwards.”

“It’s nice to know you both came out to see me race, even if it wasn’t much of one.” Keisuke smiled at them for a moment, before his gaze turned towards Ryousuke, who was staring down the road, tapping his foot against the ground. “Aniki would probably be happy to know you two came out, if he wasn’t so distracted.” three consecutive bangs echoed around the pass and Takumi jerked upwards, eyes wide and bleeding black as Keisuke pulled his back down. Shingo recoiled at the extreme reaction.

“They’ve arrived.” he commented, and the four watched as the train of Lan-Evos pulled to a stop before them, and Kyouichi got out, striding up to Ryousuke and stopping mere feet from him. Takumi let out a feral growl, and they processed that this wasn’t Takumi in control, his eyes were like deep pits.

“You have anything to say, Ryousuke?” Kyouichi asked gruffly, and Takumi twitched in Keisuke’s arms.

“Not really.” Ryousuke responded, his voice just as rough. “Tonight’s battle involves only you and me.” Kyouichi smirked.

“Excellent. Let’s start a real race then, shall we?” Keisuke growled at the words, knowing the jab behind them, and watched his aniki get into his car.

“One of you keep Takumi down,” Keisuke said. “I’m doing the countdown today, and can’t have him latched onto me to do it.” Nakazato and Shingo both sat on either side of the spider, the rat jumping when Keisuke let Takumi go and he immediately latched onto him instead of Nakazato. Keisuke ran over, nodding at Ryousuke before taking his place.”I’m starting the countdown!” he yelled, raising his arm to the sky. The world around him was silent as he counted from five, the roar of the engines echoing loudly in his ears, and as he released them, the two vehicles zooming past him and nearly knocking him over, he couldn’t help but feel oddly smug. _‘As long as aniki runs his normal race, there’s no chance in hell he’ll lose to an Evo III. He’ll win, there’s no way he won’t.’_

 

~0~

 

“I can win.” Kyouichi’s grin was sharp and feral. “I can win! As long as I stay behind, I can see exactly what Ryousuke is trying to do. I’ve got him.” a chuckle left his mouth. “All uncertainties in my head are now gone!”

He was exhilarated. He was going to get his revenge, finally after a whole year.

“I haven’t forgotten it, Ryousuke, what you told me a year ago, after you defeated me so humiliatingly!” he could still hear the words, echoing in his ears.

_“Believe what you will, but a mountain pass requires its own technique. Using just the technique you know won’t guide you to success at Gymkhana, or any of the other circuits. I’m not going to continue this conversation with you if you intend to argue, it will never lead to an answer. If you truly believe that your theory is correct, then defeat me. If you can’t, then it’s just that, a theory.”_

“I’ll never forget those words, and I know that you know that, Ryousuke. All of our racing theories and personal beliefs ride on this very race. You said a mountain pass requires its own technique. The boldness to take the shortest line, heel and toe, the all-wheel drift with zero countersteering. You’re fast, but just what is so special about your technique? You’re just using the same techniques as circuit racers! If it’s speed you seek, you’ll always resort to motor sports! MY THEORY IS CORRECT!” he watched intently as they drifted corner after corner, his excitement rising inside him. “I’ll show you just how much I’ve changed in the last year, Ryousuke!” he shifted gears, stepping on the pedal and quickly coming to speed beside the FC as the next corner came up.

His smile grew jagged.

“This is where my four-wheel drive and misfiring system excel!” and with two consecutive bangs from his muffler, he passed Ryousuke at the corner. He felt satisfaction climb up his gut. He was going to win, he had no doubts about that.

 

~0~

 

“Keisuke, he isn’t letting me go.”

“Is that a problem?”

“U-Uh, yeah, a little.”

“Shingo’s still pretty petrified about being so close to your spider, Keisuke.

“Wha- TAKESHI! I AM NOT!”

**_“Loud.”_ **

“Ah! Sorry!”

“See? Petrified.”

 

~0~

 

“My complex about passes has vanished. I don’t buy into the idea of ‘charisma’. Analyzing this superstitious illusion in the cold light of day, I’ve realized that this is nothing but experience and refined technique.” he glanced passively in his rear view, oddly enjoying the sight of the white FC behind him. “Now that I know that, I’m not afraid of Ryousuke. I’m superior to him in this regard.” he drifted the corner, his vehicle releasing two more bangs as it went.

Ryousuke would see. Kyouichi was better than he could ever be!

 

~0~

 

 ** _“It’s a finely tuned car, Kyouichi.”_ **Ryousuke commented, his tail swaying in his lap and his ears flicking around wildly. **_“It has surprisingly fine cornering abilities and seems to be able to accelerate at any rpm.”_** he followed Kyouichi into another drift and merely blinked. ** _“It turns easily and exits corners swiftly, its acceleration is unbeatable. What a scary car! It’s nearly overwhelming to observe it up close.”_** he shifted gears and adjusted his position, his wings flexing as he barely leaned into the turn. **_“But it’s not like I just realized this.”_ **he chuckled, his eyes locked on the Evo III. **_“If you hadn’t raced Takumi, I never would have found out until now.”_**

He really did owe the spider for his plan. He sped closer to the guardrail, his ears flinching back as he heard himself tap the guardrail. Damn that Evo III, forcing himself that close to the rail just to keep up.

 

~0~

 

“Keisuke, the Evo III is still ahead!”

“And?” Keisuke pulled his gaze away from where his mate was making Shingo have a small panic and locked his eyes on the Red Sun approaching him.

“I’m worried! Will he be okay?”

“That Lan-Evo is maintaining his pace.” another Red Sun cut in. “He may just run away with a victory!”

“You all shouldn’t worry!” Keisuke said peppily, taking everyone aback. “Aniki will overcome this predicament, just like he always does! That Evo III may be fast, I know most of us here didn’t expect it, I didn’t. But aniki did. Using the data collected at various checkpoints during the preliminary with Takumi, he was able to calculate Sudou’s abilities more precisely than I could ever manage. So no matter what happens, I know that aniki will win this race.”

“Hear, hear!” Nakazato’s voice echoed, and Keisuke shot him a blinding smile.

“You all should have more faith in aniki. There’s no possible way he’ll lose.”

 

~0~

 

 ** _“A four wheel drive paired with a misfiring system is a dangerous combination. Full acceleration in low gears won’t cut it.”_** his wings flexed as he turned another corner. **_“But I may get a chance at a high-speed_ _corner.”_** as he continued to follow behind the Evo III, something caught his eye, and his gaze locked on the car’s tires.

As realization hit him, his eyes narrowed.

**_“Ahahaha, I knew it! Some things never change!”_ **

 

~0~

 

Kyouichi felt confusion run down his spine as he continually took glances at the FC in his rear-view.

“He isn’t attacking from another angle. Why? His passiveness is eerie, has he given up?” he chuckled at his own words. “No, I know very well that he isn’t like that, he’ll attack. It’s just a matter of when.” he let out a small sigh. “I know I’m in the superior position, but I feel like I’m being hunted down. Have I not yet truly overcome my complex about Ryousuke?” he growled. “My victory will fix that! I’m ready for you, Ryousuke, all of my tires still have full traction!”

 

~0~

 

 ** _“I’ll have to admit, this has been a thrilling race so far!”_** his eyes were locked firmly on his opponent, his tail twitching aggravatedly, like that of a cat stalking a bird. **_“I only have one chance, I need to attack precisely into the flickering loophole.”_**

One chance.

As they closed in on the next checkpoint, Ryousuke caught sight of two of Takumi’s friends, noting their presence before he focused back on the road.

 ** _“This right turn up ahead is my chance!”_** he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming as they shifted in his excitement. **_“Your weakness lies in your unconquered fear of turning right, Kyouichi. Quite frankly,”_** he easily pulled alongside the Evo III. **_“YOU SUCK AT TURNING RIGHT!”_** he quickly took the lead as they drifted around the corner, smirking. Kyouichi was trapped, unable to use any traction or his misfiring system. It was glorious. He caught sight of Takumi’s friends in his rear-view, chanting and jumping in excitement as he took the lead completely at the following left corner.

He’d done it.

Ryousuke had won.

Like there had been any doubt.

 

~0~

 

“Ryousuke won, and completely blew the course record out of the water!” a Red Sun exclaimed, and everyone around them burst into cheers. Seiji stood there, dumbfounded, his jaw wide open and his eyes unblinking. Keisuke grinned widely.

“Like there had been any doubt!” he exclaimed, walking back over to Takumi. Shingo had relaxed a large portion, seemingly undisturbed by the spider latched to his side. Keisuke pat Takumi’s cheek and the spider released Shingo, instead grabbing Keisuke’s hand to stand and reattach himself to his mate’s side. Shingo retreated back to Nakazato, who looked deeply amused.

“I’ve never seen Ryousuke go so fast! How’d he manage it?” another Red Sun asked as Keisuke walked back to them with his mate in tow.

“Aniki usually leaves enough of a safety margin to avoid crashing during time trials. When he’s forced to raise the bar, a record such as this will always be the natural result.” Takumi shifted.

“That Evo III is a tough opponent.” he said quietly, catching the attention of those nearby. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Ryousuke got serious.” everyone looked like kids in a candy store, and Keisuke chuckled.

“Exactly.”

 

~0~

 

“That corner was amazing, what a win!” Kenta exclaimed, practically bouncing in place.

“It was, huh?” Ryousuke smiled softly as his brother’s student, before footsteps caught his attention and he turned to see a thunderous Kyouichi stalking towards them.

“I have to know.” he said gruffly. “What’s the difference between you and I? Why the hell can’t I beat you!? I just don’t get it!”

“Honestly?” Ryousuke pushed his hands into his pockets. “Your technique is almost as good as mine.”

“I DIDN’T COME HERE FOR CONSOLIDATION!”

“Wahh, touchy.” Ryousuke shook his head. “I said that because it wasn’t your technique that was your downfall. Your weakness is your right turn. Not all of them, mind you. But at certain turns, it surfaces.”

“Right turns!?”

“To the right of the center line is a ‘dead zone’ occupied by opposing traffic. You can’t attack a right-hand corner without worrying about a head-on collision. No one can give it one hundred percent, but with experience and effort, one can come close to it. Do you understand, Kyouichi? That’s the difference. In motor sports, you don’t have to worry about opposing traffic, as it isn’t two-way. Your home course is one-way, with no opposing traffic.”

“Wh-”

“When you counterattack, you always stay outside at right-hand corners. I read that as meaning you’re afraid of the inside. You really shouldn’t have raced against Takumi, you showed me far too much, and that is why you lost.” and with that, Ryousuke nodded at Kenta, got in his FC, and raced off back towards the starting line, leaving behind his defeated opponent. He had a little brother and a spider to check on.

Maybe now that Kyouichi has been defeated, Takumi can finally rest, if even a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spider is such a good boy and so is Shingo.
> 
> Shingo is canonically horrible but I'm love so he's just abrasive in this one.
> 
> I have no clue what I'm going to do for the next opponent. Human, or creature? So much to decide, and so much time to do it.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which broken bonds begin to heal, rumors drift, and a new adversary makes their debut.

“Ohhhh the race was so amazing!” Iketani crooned. “I remembered just how great Ryousuke Takahashi really is!”

“You sound like a fangirl.” Kenji snickered, nearly losing it when Iketani shot him a glare. “Anyway, the storm the Emperors had threatened Gunma with has blown itself out. Peace reigns throughout the land!”

“Right.” Yuichi nodded. “I should have gone along to watch the race with the both of you.” realization filtered across his face and it fell. “By the way, were Takumi and Itsuki there?”

“Itsuki rode along with us but ran off somewhere to get a different perspective, and I heard that Takumi had sat at the starting line with Keisuke, looking like death warmed over.” he grimaced.

“Not surprising.” Kenji said. “After what happened, it would have been too much of a shock if he had just moved on without some sort of depressive phase. Him being there was likely something he had promised the Takahashi brothers.”

“Right.”

 

~0~

 

“Huh?” Takumi questioned, eyes wide as he leaned into his booth seat, snuggling into his turtleneck beneath Keisuke’s jacket as he drank his tea. “Dad’s 86? No, we haven’t really spoken about her.” he rubbed at one of his eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“One of the SpeedStars was positive that he saw her on Akina a night or two back.” Iketani said as he brought his own cup to his lips.

“Said it was a three-door ‘panda’ Trueno.” Kenji continued for him.

“I don’t think it was ours.” Takumi responded.

“Where is she anyway?”

“I don’t really know. We towed it from Akagi, but after we got home he dropped me off and took her off somewhere.”

“Since you don’t have a car, what’s going on with your morning deliveries?” Itsuki asked as Takumi sat his cup down.”

“Dad brought in a pickup truck for that.”

“Don’t tell me that your beautiful 86 is rusting away at some obscure scrap yard right now!” Iketani hissed, alarmed. “I’ll cry!”

“I doubt that’s where she is.” Takumi said firmly. “Dad said he was replacing the entire engine.”

“A new engine? What kind?”

“I doubt it’ll be another normal 4AG.” Itsuki interjected. “Maybe it’ll have turbo!” Takumi was silent.

“Honestly, I don’t really care at this point."

“Why’s that?”

“In my opinion, the most important element of a car is the engine, kinda like the brain in a human body. Or the heart.” Takumi went thoughtful at that and Iketani let out a long-suffering sigh. “Well, whatever, if there’s a new engine in her, she’ll feel like a completely different car.”

“I can see how you’d feel like that.” Iketani responded, leaning back in his seat. “You’re attached to the original.”

“I understand completely.” Kenji added, stretching. “We just can’t help but wonder what kind of engine is going in her.”

 

~0~

 

Yuichi perked as Bunta turned the corner, bringing the 86 to a stop before them as they hurried over.

“How’s she holding up, Bunta?” Masashi asked, the two looking in at their arachnid companion.

 _“She’s getting better.”_ Bunta commented. Tama stumbled around on the dash, dazed, and Yuichi reached in and pulled him out. The old orb weaver was clicking agitatedly, his legs twitching as he was held still to orient himself. _“But since the engine is so good, the suspension can’t catch up.”_

“The engine’s that good, huh?” Yuichi asked rhetorically.

 _“Yeah.”_ Bunta’s voice was rapturous, filled to the brim with adoration. _“I love it. It’s perfect for her.”_

“It sounds very tempting.” Yuichi said, passing Tama to Masashi as he walked closer to the window. “I may just want to ride with you next time, despite your tendency to make me panic.” Bunta inhaled deeply, pulling the cigarette away from his mouth as he slowly exhaled smoke.

_“This car has become very scary.”_

“What?” Masashi asked, startled.

“That’s not something you’d usually say, Bunta.” Yuichi announced as the spider exited the car, a few of his limbs hanging oddly behind him. “I already know how terrifying your driving is!”

 _“I don’t mean it like that.”_ Bunta said, maneuvering three of his limbs towards them. _“I mean it like this.”_ the three limbs were battered, angry purple bruises coating their sides.

“Holy shit…” Masashi muttered.

“Bunta… how-”

 _“I needed to use them to stabilize myself at the corners. I used to assume the G-Force generated during pass racing wasn’t worthy of a bucket seat, but these old bones will bruise if one isn’t installed right away.”_ he pulled his limbs back to himself, holding them up so as to not agitate them. _“I’ve had enough for today. The 86 is a stubborn gal, but that makes all of this just that more exciting. I still don’t know how I’m gonna set her up. I’m just gonna take my time and enjoy the process. I’ll have to consider that my inept hatchling is going to be driving her too.”_

“Inept, he says.” Masashi mumbled incredulously.

“Takumi? Inept? Is he kidding?” Yuichi responded equally. Tama let out a few clicks from his spot on Masashi’s shoulder, obviously agreeing with them.

“Bunta’s too competitive.”

 

~0~

 

Takumi yawned as he made his way down the stairs, shivering despite wearing one of his thicker turtlenecks and the leather jacket at once.

“Ah, it’s so cold.” he sneezed lightly, glancing up at Nejibana’s web. No ice crystals had formed in it yet, so that was good. She was getting close to her hibernation and would need her web clean and dry for it. “Dad, don’t you think it’s time to get out the electric heater?”

 _“If you’re cold, it means you’re being lazy.”_ Bunta announced as Takumi moved the curtains in the doorway aside. _“So stay busy.”_

“Ugh, you sound just like my physical education teacher!” as Bunta turned the water off, the dull rumble of an engine caught Takumi’s ears and his eyes widened. That didn’t sound like the pickup. His curiosity peaked, he tilted his head and hurried over to the front door, missing his father’s amused smile as he opened it and his eyes locked on a form that had been making his nights sleepless.

The 86 sat before the shop, rumbling invitingly. Spider let out a delighted croon in his head, scuttling around happily at the sight of the 86 alive and well.

 _“She runs wonderfully.”_ Bunta’s voice said from behind him. _“She wasn’t that hard of a fix, didn’t take long at all to install the new engine. She looks as good as new, doesn’t she?”_ Takumi didn’t trust his voice and merely nodded, caught up in the elation Spider was throwing at him. He walked forward, his eyes catching sight of the new drivers seat, and hesitated. _“I had to use some of your money to fix her, so she’s half yours from now on, understand?”_

“Half mine!?” Takumi yelped. “Are you sure!? I-”

_“Takumi, it seriously isn’t your fault that her engine blew. How many times do I have to stay it? You didn’t make any mistakes that would have caused this. Her engine was just old. As such, you aren’t to blame. Had you not gone to Akagi, it would have blown on one of your deliveries instead. It’s one of those inevitable things you can’t avoid. And besides, I used your money earned from both your part-time job and your deliveries to pay for the engine. You’re entitled to grow as attached as you want this time. Got it, kid?”_

“Uh… yeah. Got it.” Takumi sounded awed, before he turned back to the 86.

 _“You go get those deliveries done, kid.”_ Bunta finished his commentary, watching Takumi nod before getting in the car. He watched his kid hesitate as he retrieved the water cup, looking slightly unnerved as he rolled down the window. _“Your eye level is lower because of the bucket seat. You’ll get used to it after a while.”_ Takumi took the cup gently and set it in the holder, before fidgeting gently with the wheel and foot pedals, his eyes widening minutely as he shut the window and pulled off down the road. Bunta placed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it as he walked back in the shop. _“He’ll likely have noticed it when putting the clutch in, how weird the 86 felt, that is. She’s a wild thing now, I can only hope Takumi can adapt to her quickly.”_

 

~0~

 

“WHAT!?” Takumi winced at the volume Iketani and Kenji had taken. “YOUR 86 IS FIXED ALREADY!?”

“You’re serious!?”

“Have you already taken her on a test drive!? How was it!?”

“How?” Takumi echoed, looking slightly lost. “Ah, she worked, if that’s what you wanted to know.” Iketani and Kenji both let out choking sounds as they nearly fell over.

“NO! THAT’S NOT WHAT WE MEANT!” they both yelled in tandem, and Takumi winced again.

“What was the engine like!?” Iketani begged, eyes wide as he end Kenji leaned forward.

“Ah, she ran wonderfully. The new engine ran well… something was… off about it, though.” Yuichi suddenly perked from his position nearby, walking towards them curiously.

“Off how?” he asked.

“Well, she just doesn’t feel right. She feels… slower with this new engine.” Yuichi choked.

“Slower!?” Kenji echoed.

“Yeah, like she lacks power or something.”

“Bunta told me that engine was premium!” Yuichi exclaimed, and everyone’s attention was suddenly on him.

“Would you happen to know what’s wrong with her, then?” Iketani questioned, and Yuichi shook his head.

“Definitely not.” he responded. “Bunta is crazy, if he did something, he sure as hell wouldn’t tell me about it.”

“Whatever it is, it feels like the car itself is either lacking, or holding itself back. Either way, I dislike it.”

 

~0~

 

Itsuki hummed to himself happily as he walked down the road, excitement pooling in his gut as he thought about races, his curiosity making him wonder just what would come around next. He opened his eyes to scan his surroundings, and his eyes immediately locked on the familiar form of a Levin parked outside an apartment complex.

“Whoa, I don’t recognize the plates.” Itsuki commented to himself, knowing that he was only one in the area to own a Levin. He approached the car excitedly, peaking in. “Whoa! It has a roll bar and a bucket seat! It even had a boost meter! Turbo!” Itsuki let out his trademark squeal of excitement, hardly containing himself. “Ahh! So cool! So cool!”

“HEY!” a feminine voice called angrily, causing Itsuki to stop in his mooning to look who called, and his eyes locked on a girl who looked none to happy. “Just WHAT are you doing with my car!?”

“Ah!” Itsuki chuckled, embarrassed at getting caught fanboying by a girl. “I was admiring it. It’s a beautiful car.”

“Admiring it!?” she yelled, incredulous. “It’s just a domestic car!” Itsuki’s face fell at that, his eyes losing their embarrassed yet happy sheen, being replaced by annoyance as she girl stalked closer. “You tell me the truth! You were tampering with it because it doesn’t have Gunma plates, weren’t you!” something inside Itsuki snapped and he stalked forward as well, causing her to recoil in shock and take a step back.

“ARE YOU CRAZY!?” he howled, outrage climbing up his spine. “WHY THE HELL WOULD I DO SUCH A DISHONORABLE THING!?”

“You don’t have to yell at me!” she whined brattily. “What’s with you!?”

“Maybe I wouldn’t be yelling if you hadn’t made such an accusation!” Itsuki glared at her, easily conveying his hurt at her words. “For your information, I’m a Levin enthusiast, so seeing an 86 not native to the area was an experience I’ve never had! You dare insult me by even suggesting I’d so something so horrid to an 86 when you don’t even know me!” her eyes flashed and her fists clenched, movement caught Itsuki’s eyes and he caught sight of a similar looking male watching the scene play out with wide eyes. “That 86 has things built into it that I’ve never seen on an 86 before, as there’s only ONE 86 in this whole town! I guess appreciating someone else’s vehicle is a heinous crime now. GUNMA PEOPLE DON’T FUCK WITH OTHER PEOPLE’S CARS!” Itsuki snarled as he finished his tirade and turned around, storming back the way he came. When he was gone, the male watching finally make his presence known.

“Kazumi.” he said, watching her jump, small clicks echoing from her as her fangs clacked in response to her panic.

“Aniki! Don’t sneak up on me!”

“I wasn’t sneaking.” he pointed out, a brow raised. Her clicks turned agitated.

“YOU WERE SNEAKING!”

“I was walking normally. Maybe if you hadn’t decided every human here is a disgusting insect, you wouldn’t have been so distracted by accusing one of something so illegal.

“WATARU!” she exclaimed, horrified by his words. “I DON’T THINK THAT!”

“Then why did you immediately assume the worst about that human?” Wataru asked, his own fangs clicking in response to his agitation with his little sister. “He was being very obvious about mooning over my 86. You responded so territorially, that it’s a wonder I’m letting you leave home.” Kazumi flinched and muttered apologies, prompting her brother to sigh. “Apart from that, I found the hotel where our aunt works. And since you’re going to be here for a while, you’ll have to get over any prejudices you have against the humans, alright? It won’t do for you to be so hostile against people who haven’t done you any wrong.” he frowned when Kazumi merely stalked towards the passenger side and got in wordlessly. Sighing, he followed after and quickly started the car up as he started on their way. “Honestly, Kazumi, your impatience and snappy attitude worry me a little. As temporary as this is, you’ll be working with humans near constantly at the hotel. Don’t make our aunt look bad by acting spoiled.”

“I won’t.”

“I’ll hear if you get upset with rude customers.”

“Then you’ll have to promise me you won’t stop by Akagi for a spin on your way back home.” Kazumi responded slyly.

“I don’t know why you think you've won, imouto. Sundays are always ridiculously crowded. I hadn’t even begun to fathom going today.”

“You can’t lie to me.” Kazumi smiled imperiously. “I know you’re planning to race Akagi’s white FC someday.”

“Yes, someday. That doesn’t mean today. I’m not that impulsive. And anyway, that FC… I couldn’t say if I’m even ready for it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happens when you manage to put two strange, male spiders together, alone, in a room, and lock the door?
> 
> Also: Some Jorōgumo don't have familiars. Wataru and Kazumi are from a nest that have forgone the practice of obtaining one, unlike Takumi, who's family practically depends on familiars for emotional and moral support.
> 
> IT TOOK ME WAY TOO LONG TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH WATARU, I DECIDED UPON THE SADISTIC ROUTE AFTER PONDERING IT FOR HOURS. Anything I have to think about for that long will ALWAYS have strings attached when I finally come to a decision and ohhhohohohohoho trust me when I say there are STRINGS attached to this one.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the allure of love begins to sink into our favorite human, the spider has trouble with his revived 86, two brothers try to think of a way to help, and things slowly escalate.

Itsuki was in a panic as he ran down the road, glancing down at his watch and speeding up when he noticed the time.

"I'm gonna be late!" he yelled, only for a familiar form to catch his eye and make him pause. It was that girl from the other day, the one who made such horrid accusations, standing before a Taiyaki stand. He felt agitation run up his spine and his lips curled into a sneering frown.

"Six please! Five in a to-go bag and one free!" he heard her say as he grew closer.

"Okay." the vendor responded, doing as she asked. "That'll be six hundred and sixty yen." he watched her munch on one of the delights as she opened her wallet, only for her to freeze.

"Oh no, I'm ten yen short!" she exclaimed, upset. "Would you be able to take a ten thousand note for change?"

"I'm sorry, miss, but that's way too big! I really don't have the change for that." Itsuki felt pity chase after his agitation and sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the needed extra yen.

"Really? Oh no…" she commented, looking dismayed, and Itsuki set the coin on the counter with an audible click, prompting her to turn and look at him, eyes widening as she recognized him.

"Take it." he said in a vaguely clipped tone. "And never let it be said that I didn't help you, despite your attitude." as he walked off, he heard her frantically pay the price for her food and hurry after him.

"Thank you so much, I'll pay you back later, I promise!"

"You don't have to, it's only ten yen."

"Oh, but I want to! It wouldn't feel right otherwise! Where can I find you?" Itsuki glanced at her and grunted before pointing down the street.

"I work at the gas station down at the end." he responded, and she grinned.

"I started a temporary job at the hotel where I'm staying." she quickly changed the subject. "My aunt works there, I'm currently running an errand for her!" Itsuki rose a brow and she chuckled awkwardly before they fell silent. "Ah, about the other day…"

"Hmm?"

"I was… actually happy. No one really compliments my aniki's old Levin."

"Your aniki's?" he echoed, suddenly feeling curious. His agitation quickly bled away.

"I don't know anyone in Gunma," she continued. "So I was feeling bored, and lonely." she trailed off and stopped, prompting Itsuki to stop and turn towards her. "How about we be friends?"

"Friends?" he echoed softly.

"I'm Kazumi Akiyama!"

"Ah, I'm Itsuki Takeuchi." Itsuki responded with a stutter. This was not what he had expected on his way to work today.

"It was nice to meet you, Itsuki!" Kazumi exclaimed. "I'll see you later, alright?" and with a small smile, she ran off, leaving Itsuki stunned. He felt his face heat up and his heart began to race as he stared after her.

"Oh god, she's cute." he whispered, and a small, dazed grin crossed his face.

 

~0~

 

 **"The 86 is back in action?"** Ryousuke asked Keisuke, looking surprised. He moved back from his computer and stretched, the fur on his tail standing on end and his wings extending to their full length. His ears twitched. **"This soon?"**

"Yeah." Keisuke grunted from his spot against his brother's bedroom wall. "Kenta first reported seeing it, and Takumi just called to tell me about it. His dad put in a new engine and everything. His boss said it was a powerful engine, but Takumi said that it had felt weaker than the original, almost like something was holding it back."

 **"It sounds like something we should check out."** Ryousuke commented as he stood, grabbing the keys to his FC. **"Come, you're riding shotgun. We're going 86 watching."**

"Right!"

The sun was beginning to peak over the mountains when they arrived on Akina. The distant roar of an engine Ryousuke never thought he'd hear on a pass echoed around them. He and Keisuke watched as, true to Kenta and Takumi's words, the 86 flew around the corner faster than they had ever seen it go, and vanish around the next.

"Aniki, that sounded like-"

**"Yeah, I know."**

"Did you see his drift? It was chaotic!"

**"He's not used to the engine and what it's done to his car, yet. I doubt he even knows what that engine is. It has revived the 86 as a terrifying monster, more of a demon than before. How fitting, for a Jorōgumo like him."**

 

~0~

 

 _"You took longer than usual."_ Bunta commented as his son stepped through the door. _"Did something happen?"_

"No." Takumi responded as he walked towards the living room. "I just drove the pass a few times after deliveries. I used up a lot of the gas, though. Sorry."

 _"Ah, I don't really mind."_ Bunta responded, before he turned his attention back to cleaning. Takumi's footsteps stopped.

"... hey, dad?"

_"Hmm?"_

"Cornering with the 86 is much more difficult that before. I can't do what I used to. I don't like it." Bunta felt his intrigue spike as he shut off the water. "I've been trying an assortment of different things to see what makes it easier on me or what I can adapt to get used to it, but it isn't going very well. It's very agitating." as Takumi walked into the back, likely towards the stairs, Bunta let out an amused chuff

 _"He's got good attitude."_ he muttered to himself as he stepped into the garage and got out his cigarettes _. "He's trying to compensate with his technique instead of fidgeting with the suspension settings. He probably doesn't even know to mess with the suspension, though that's the easy way out, so I'm thankful."_ he lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply, his gaze landing on the object of his son's frustrations. _"Go ahead and struggle for a while, kid. Trial and error is an important process for you. In time, the 86 will improve your technique, whether you know it or not. She will be just the tool to move you up to the next level."_

 

~0~

 

"Itsuki!" a feminine voice calls, catching the attention of Iketani and Kenji as Itsuki looks over at the source.

"Ah, Kazumi!" Itsuki exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to pay you back!" she responded, and Itsuki hurried over, not noticing the two spying on them. Even Takumi had stopped doing what he was doing to watch curiously. Kazumi grabbed his hand and sat in it a ten yen coin. "Here, now we're even!"

"I'm still certain that you really didn't have to-"

"Well, I did! You really saved me yesterday!"

"I did?"

"Hey, who's the chick?" Iketani asked Takumi, looking surprised.

"No clue." Takumi responded.

"It's settled then!" Kazumi exclaimed as she hurried off. "I'll see you at seven thirty!"

"Y-yeah!" he trailed off with a dazed chuckle, and winced when Iketani draped an arm over his shoulder.

"So," he drawled slyly. "Who's the cutie?"

"Oh, ah, she's just a- a friend." Itsuki stuttered, and Iketani chuckled.

"Just a friend?" he tisked. "That's not what it looked like to me! Has 'Lonely Driver Itsuki' finally found himself a lady?" he pulled Itsuki into a headlock. "I'm so proud of my little coworker, finally finding himself a lovely girl to woo!" Itsuki let out an amused laugh, and Takumi shook his head, smiling at his nest's antics.

Night fell quickly as Itsuki drove his 85 to his meeting place, his eyes catching Kazumi instantly. He honked his horn, catching her attention, and her eyes flew wide.

"Is this really your car!?" she exclaimed, and Itsuki laughed.

"I told you I liked Levins!"

He drove her to the lake, parking and getting them both a coffee before making his way back over to her, chattering all the while.

"I'm a year older than you, having graduated last semester." Kazumi said.

"Ah, what did you do after graduating?" Itsuki asked.

"I got a job… sorta. I hated it there. Aniki often tells me that I'm impatient."

"The one with the 86?" Itsuki asked, tilting his head, and she nodded.

"Yeah. You might find it odd, but we were always together, even when he went racing. They say he's the fastest downhill racer in Saitama. Wataru, that's aniki's name, his downhill is sharp, they say."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He's now using me as an excuse to come to Gunma. He's probably off at some pass right now either racing or trying to set up a race. It wouldn't surprise me."

 

~0~

 

"I'm sorry." Keisuke responded firmly, causing Wataru's eyes to widen. "We have a strict policy that states we don't race here on Akagi."

"Why?" Wataru asked agitatedly. "Because I drive an 86?"

"No," Keisuke responded, just as agitated. "What a conclusion to jump to. Races for us here on Akagi are much too easy. Every racing team in Gunma knows that the Red Suns never race on their own terf. Nothing personal about it."

"Besides, it doesn't matter what car you drive." Kenta interjected.

"Right. We take 86 racers very, very seriously. Gunma's own 86 is a downhill specialist, and a terrifying one at that."

"He hasn't lost a single race!"

"What?" Wataru's eyes were wide.

"Against ANY car." Keisuke added. "That includes my own FD."

"ANY car!?"

"Right. I've witnessed it first hand. He's a terrifying creature."

"Then you would be able to tell me if he's faster than I am or not." Wataru grinned widely.

"WHAT!?"

"Down, Kenta." Keisuke sat a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "As I said, we don't race here. If you wanna figure out if you're faster than Akina's Ghostly 86, do it on your own." with that, he walked to his own car, completely missing Kenta growling at Wataru angrily before retreating to his S14. As they pulled away, Wataru growled agitatedly, his fangs beginning to click rapidly.

"Fine then." He pulled open the door to his 86 and got in. He pulled a u-turn and flew after the two Red Suns. "If you won't race me like I want, I'll force a race. You've left me no choice."

Keisuke's tongue clicked as he noticed the lights in his rear view, agitation climbing up his spine.

"Pushy pushy." he commented. "If you're so desperate to play, I'll indulge you a little, but not as a Red Sun, oh no. I'll indulge you to see if you're good enough to race my mate!"

Kenta felt exhilaration run down his spine as orange scales broke out across his nose.

 **"Perfect! Teach that rude jerk a lesson, Keisuke!"** as Keisuke and the strange 86 passed him, a loud, high pitched squeal nearly caused him to cover his ears with his hands. **"Ugh, that squeal! That 86 has turbo!"**

Keisuke growled as the 86 followed him out of the corner, nearly on his bumper.

"What abnormal power." he growled, teeth clenched. "Something is wrong with that 86, if it really is an 86!" he continued watching, noting that as Kenta slowly vanished from his rear view, the 86 stayed on his tail, shifting back and forth as if it was about to lose control, but never did. "I may not know as much as aniki, but even I can tell that this guy isn't messing around. I should get serious about this." he continued on, watching the road, when his eyes caught on something ahead and widened.

Someone had crashed into the guardrail.

Panic shot through him as he forced himself into a drift, spinning easily around the vehicle before coming to a stop, the 86 mimicking his actions, before spinning around and slowly driving by, Wataru giving him a thumbs up. Keisuke grimaced at him half heartedly, feeling his teeth shift, and he waved him off, getting an amused look in return before the 86 sped off.

"Cocky." Keisuke commented. "There are many kinds of racers. I guess I have something to look forward too, Takumi as well."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET THIS OUT YESTERAY BUT I WAS HAVING AN IFFY DAY APPARENTLY. YA'LL GETTING TWO CHAPTERS TODAY.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which two nests meet, and butt heads.

“So they didn’t need you on a Sunday afternoon?” Wataru asked, genuinely curious, before a sly and teasing smile split his face. “Maybe you aren’t that useful.”

“Rude.” Kazumi snapped. “It was super busy this morning, and I’ve worked nearly nonstop for two weeks straight. They gave me an afternoon off so as to not overwork myself.”

“And that’s okay.” Kazumi stared at her brother.

“Aniki, why did you come here, anyway?” she finally asked.

“Huh?” he sounded bewildered. “Well, I wanted to see how you were doing. Mom and dad worry about you near constantly.” she let out a slightly agitated sigh.

“I’m fine, and I’m working very hard.”

“I should hope so.” Wataru made a small sound of distress when his gaze shot to the icons on the dash. “Ah, I’m low on gas.”

“Ah! Aniki! My friend works at a gas station! Come on let’s go see if he’s on shift!” Wataru chuckled, and followed her directions to the station, where he pulled in.

Itsuki’s eyes widened gently as he noticed the 86 pull in and smiled when he saw Kazumi.

“Welcome!” he exclaimed, running up, and Kazumi waved at him with a smile.

“Aniki, that’s my friend, Itsuki!” he heard Kazumi say, and smiled.

“What can I do for you?”

“Twenty liters of high octane.”

“Right away!” Itsuki chirped, and quickly got to work, sweating. _‘Shit, he’s good looking.’_ he glanced up and caught sight of Iketani staring intently at the 86, and he gulped, quickly looking back down at the car as he did his job. There was a click of the door opening, and he jumped when Wataru got out and turned towards him.

“Kazumi tells me that you and her are friends.” he began, a good natured smile on his face. “Isn’t she too strong-willed?”

“O-Oh, no, I don’t think so.” Itsuki responded honestly as he continuously eyeballed how much gas was going in the tank.

“Aniki!” Kazumi exclaimed from the car, sounding slightly embarrassed. “Don’t ask him stupid things like that!” Wataru chuckled.

“Ah, she’s a good kid, so be nice, yeah?”

“Of course!” they were silent for a moment as Itsuki removed the gas pump and replaced it.

“You know, this is a sudden change of topic,” Wataru picked back up, catching Itsuki’s attention once again. “But I’ve been hearing talk of a really fast 86 out here. They say he’s undefeated. I know that Gunma is pretty big, but I thought you might know something about him.” pride for his friend swelled in his chest and he puffed a little, much to Wataru’s visible curiosity.

“The driver of that 86 just so happens to be my best friend!” Itsuki exclaimed, grinning widely. Wataru’s eyes widened.

“What!? Seriously!?”

“Yeah! He’s come so far since he began and I’m so proud!”

“Itsuki, was it? I know we’ve only just met, but do you think you could arrange a meeting with him?” Itsuki suddenly tensed, a small choking sound escaping his lips, and Wataru was suddenly on the defensive. “I would really like to talk to him, the rumors have made me curious about his 86.”

“A-Ah, yeah!” Itsuki responded, slightly hesitant. “I could ask him. He’s a bit slow, but he’s pretty nice, he’ll likely agree, we don’t get many 86 drivers out here, which would make him just as curious about you as you are him!” a smile split his face. “How does tonight sound?”

“Tonight!?” Wataru exclaimed, looking floored. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! I was planning on seeing him after work anyway.”

“Ah, that sounds perfect, then!”

“If you’re done using my friend to get your racing kicks!” Kazumi yelled, sounding very put out. Wataru jumped, before letting out a humored chuckle as he got back in the car. After paying, he pulled out from the lot, Itsuki sending them off pleasantly with a smile.

“You know, Kazumi, I’m glad he and you are friends, and not just because he’s friends with this region's 86.”

“I don’t care.” she sniped, her fangs clicking. “I don’t like that you used him to get your grubby limbs on a meeting with his racing friend. You only seem to care about Itsuki’s friend, and not Itsuki himself.”

“That’s not true.” Wataru defended himself. “He’s an okay kid, and plenty faithful as well. He’ll make a good friend for you.”

“Then why were you so fixed on meeting his friend!?”

“No particular reason.” Wataru responded easily. “I honestly just want to meet him. To have gone undefeated in every race he’s ran here in competitive Gunma means he’s incredibly skilled.” Kazumi frowned, looking annoyed, and she leaned against the door.

“That had better be it.” she said. “You tend to lose your cool when it comes to street racing.”

 

~0~

 

 _“An 86 racer?”_ Takumi’s voice echoed over the phone, curious but very hesitant. _“I dunno, Itsuki-”_

“Come on, Takumi, please!” Itsuki interrupted him. “I really want Kazumi’s brother to like me! This is a good opportunity to score points!” Takumi audibly sighed.

 _“Alright, alright, fine. I’ll go.”_ he responded, and Itsuki squealed excitedly. _“But I’m not interested in racing him, at all, got it!? The new engine is messing me up and I can’t afford to race like this.”_

“Don’t worry about that!” Itsuki exclaimed, and he vaguely heard Takumi let out a spooked and agitated grunt, his fangs clicking, letting him know that he had been too loud. “Ah, sorry. Anyway, I’ve learned my lesson after what happened with Nakazato and the Night Kids. Kazumi’s brother seems like a very nice guy, you’ll see when you meet him!”

_“If you’re certain.”_

Night fell quickly in the area, and Itsuki found himself standing at the lake with Kazumi and Wataru, waiting for Takumi to arrive.

“I hope his dad didn't pull anything again.” Itsuki grumbled, catching their attention.

“Huh?” Wataru asked, confused.

“Ah, Takumi’s dad sometimes takes the 86 without telling anyone to go run errands. Luckily the instances of it happening hasn’t crossed paths with his races yet, but there have been days where we were forced to cancel plans because his dad snatched the car.” there was the roar of an engine and Takumi came around the corner, taking a moment to slow down and park nearby before getting out. “It’s so cool to see three 86s in one place! Ah, even if mine is an 85...”

“Excited as always, Itsuki.” Takumi commented quietly as he shut the door, pulling the leather jacket closer to himself.

“He’s young…” Wataru commented quietly.

“How’s the new engine holding up?” Itsuki asked as Takumi came over.

“Still iffy.” was Takumi’s response.

“You got a new engine?” Wataru asked, curious.

“Yeah.” Takumi responded. “Dad and my boss both have said that it’s better than the last but I just can’t agree. I can’t accelerate with this one like the last one. In my opinion, it’s too slow.”

“Despite that, he’s still trying to break it in, so he won’t be able to race for a while.” Itsuki added and Takumi nodded.

“Is it a normal 4AG?”

“I have absolutely no clue.” Takumi responded. Spider shifted in his head and he was suddenly filled with apprehension and agitation, much to his confusion. “I don’t really know much about engines. Or cars, as a matter of fact. All I know about this one is that it doesn’t feel as strong as the last.” Wataru looked thoughtful.

“Is it okay if I took a look at it?”

“Oh! Ah, yeah, it’s alright.” Takumi responded, and started back to the car so he could pop the hood. Wataru lifted it up and froze.

“What the fuck…” he growled, and Takumi was suddenly on high alert as Itsuki turned his gaze towards him, alarmed. He shrugged as Wataru began to speak again. “This engine, it’s both a 4AG and not at the same time…” he scoffed, and shut the hood. “Is this a joke to you?” he demanded, looking Takumi dead in the eyes. “Are you teasing me? I have no godly clue where you could have gotten this engine, but DO NOT insult me by telling me that it’s SLOW!”

“Why is he getting so mad?” Itsuki asked, looking shaken.

“I have no clue.” Takumi responded, looking bewildered.

“I had been under the assumption that we were fellow 86 racers. Is cheap turbo not good enough for you!? You owe me an explanation.”

“Aniki, what are you on about!?” Kazumi demanded.

“Stay out of this, Kazumi.” he responded to her demand agitatedly before focusing on Takumi once again. “I’ve never met anyone who would use an engine like this for street racing. That engine is for professional racing.”

“What?” Takumi asked, well and truly lost at this point. He felt spider tense and begin to rear in his head.

“It’s something I could never afford, no matter how much I wanted it. Picturing such an engine in my own 86 makes my mouth water.”

“Aniki-”

“I don’t care what kind of engine you have, but why lie about it!?” Takumi felt indigence fly up his spine and his face shifted minutely, prompting Itsuki to take a step away from him. “Why can’t you just admit that you’re fast!? I’m disgusted by your deliberate lies!”

 ** _‘We haven’t lied.’_** Spider hissed.

“W-We didn’t-”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Takumi spoke up, much more powerfully than he had been speaking since he arrived. “Neither of us lied about anything.” he turned to his friend, agitation clear on his face. “I knew this was a bad idea, I never should have let you talk me into coming here. I’m going home.” as he reached for his door handle, Itsuki let out a sound of pure distress as he reached for him.

“Running away?” Wataru called tauntingly, and Spider hissed again at the tone. “I’m not done with you.” Itsuki gulped when he noticed that Takumi’s arm was shaking, his nails scratching against the door handle.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no…” Itsuki said, quickly moving back from his friend. If Takumi started swinging, it was over. “This isn’t good…”

“TELL ME THE TRUTH!” Wataru demanded, and with that, Takumi snapped and let out a snarl, falling back as Spider took over and shifted them fully.

 ** _“WE DID NOT LIE!”_ **Spider shrieked, taking a step forward, his pedipalps shifting agitatedly and venom dripping from his fangs. Wataru was taken aback, as was Kazumi, before Wataru shifted fully as well, his dark coloration a stark contrast to Takumi’s bright reds. Both spiders threat postured and hissed angrily, obviously looking to square down, and Itsuki was the first to move, getting between them and beginning to push on Takumi's legs. He didn't move at all, but his threat posture relaxed as he looked down at the human.

“Takumi, please calm down! There’s no need to-” the loud sound of skin contacting skin caused both of them to look up in time to see Wataru recoil backwards, Kazumi’s hand raised like she had smacked him. He immediately shifted back to a more human form, looking shocked and taken aback as he looked at his sister.

“K… Kazumi?” he stuttered, hurt. Kazumi’s own fangs and pedipalps were out and she was breathing heavily.

“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?” Kazumi demanded, causing Wataru to recoil again. “CHALLENGING A RIVAL SPIDER IN HIS OWN TERRITORY LIKE THAT! HE HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, AND WITH EVERY WORD SAID HE HAD LOOKED MORE AND MORE LOST AND CONFUSED UNTIL YOU STARTED SHOOTING AROUND ACCUSATIONS!”

 ** _“We like her, egg-mate.”_ **Spider commented to Itsuki. **_“Assertive.”_**

“Itsuki introduced you to Takumi out of the kindness of his own heart, AND YOU USE THAT AS AN EXCUSE TO ACT ENTITLED, JUST LIKE THE RICH HUMANS BACK HOME!” that drew a reaction from Wataru, his eyes widening as he curled in on himself. “APOLOGIZE TO THEM! DO IT, OR LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK!”

“K-Kazumi…” Itsuki trailed off, his entire visage shocked. He felt Takumi’s form shift downwards and nearly jumped when his friend leaned closer to him.

“You don’t have the right to treat my friends like you are! I’m doing my best to live on my own here, and here you are, randomly showing up and ruining everything!” silence reigned.

“Alright.” Wataru finally responded as he walked towards his 86. “You’ll never see me again.”

 ** _“Oh, how juvenile.”_** Spider commented, watching him go. **_“So set on being right that he’d rather never see his egg-mate again instead of apologize. What a hatchling thing to do.”_** they watched as Wataru raced off, and Spider relinquished his hold to Takumi once again.

“Itsuki.” Takumi commented, and his human friend jumped. “I’m going.”

“What!?” Itsuki choked. “Don’t leave me here alone, I’m horrible at trying to console people!”

“I don’t need consolation!” Kazumi exclaimed, rubbing at her eyes fiercely.

“If you don’t need consolation, then at least let Itsuki take you home.” was all Takumi responded, before he got in his own car and took off after Wataru. That spider wasn’t about to get away without explaining a few things. He finally found him, pulled over on the side of the road and laying on the hood of his 86, all of his limbs draped over the sides. He looked to be contemplating things, but sat up when he noticed Takumi’s engine grow silent as he parked nearby and got out, his own limbs out and crossed.

“Why did you stop?” Wataru asked, agitated. Takumi’s frown deepened. “I wouldn’t have chased after you, and now that we’re here, I may want to continue from where we left off.” he began to click and his limbs tensed.

“Two reasons.” Takumi responded. “One, to warn you against what you just did. I may be a city spider, but I’m still just as much a forest one as well. If not for Itsuki, I would have tackled you and blood would have flown.” Wataru gulped, looking pale. Forest Jorōgumo were much, much more ferocious than a city spider could ever hope to be. “And two, I couldn’t care less what you want, there’s just one thing I honestly have to know. Is this engine really as good as you say it is? I can tell that it’s not normal, but if you’re right and this engine really is great, I want to know why it feels so slow.” Wataru was silent. “I didn’t lie when I said I didn’t know anything about engines or cars.”

“You’re serious? How could the owner not know a thing about his own car? If you don’t know what that engine is, where the hell did you get it then!?”

“I wasn’t the one who got it. That was my dad.” Wataru’s eyes widened. “I don’t know anything because he never tells me anything. Everything that goes into this car, my dad is the one who installs them.”

“Your dad?” Wataru echoed. “He must work in the racing industry, then.”

“No, not even close. We own a little tofu shop in town.” Wataru’s stance grew unstable at that. “He was a street racer in his younger days, though, back before I hatched. He likely picked up a lot about being a mechanic while he raced.”

“Just how can the owner of a Tofu shop manage to afford this kind of engine?” Wataru asked, and Takumi chuckled.

“I’ve been working since I was thirteen. All of the money I earned while running tofu for my dad has been going into a trust. Five years of tofu runs, coupled with my checks from the gas station, add up pretty easily. When my 86’s original engine blew, I had managed to save up over two million yen. He dipped into my savings to buy that engine. At least, that‘s what he had told me.” Wataru was silent, as if thinking.

“I’ll admit, I’m also curious about the engine’s full potential. Would you mind driving me around? I want to get a feel of the engine myself.” Takumi nodded and started towards his car, Wataru close behind. Both got in, Takumi’s limbs attaching themselves to their usual spots on the interior, while Wataru got situated.

“Ready?” at Wataru’s nod, Takumi shifted the gears and started forward. “I’ll lightly mimic my usual run, if it’ll help you feel what I feel during them, alright?” Takumi asked, and Wataru nodded again. As he began, Wataru focused on the sensations of the car and frowned.

 _‘This does feel weird, the shifting seems to be stalling the acceleration.’_ he thought, his eyes locking on the dash, watching the gauges. _‘It has tons of power at the rev limit, but up-shifting causes a power loss. It’s like this engine is defective. Compared to turbo, it’s dull. Why is it like this? There’s no way this is it’s full potential.’_ his eyes widened when he looked back at the road and saw the corner coming to them fast.

“What the-” he winced when Takumi threw the 86 into a drift, forcing Wataru to use his limbs to secure himself to the interior and not get thrown around. Takumi shifted and he felt the car stall again. _‘Why does it…’_ as he watched Takumi shift, noticing the agitation spreading across his face, it suddenly hit him. _‘I GET IT NOW! I know why it stalls like it does!’_

When they came back around to Wataru’s own 86 and parked, the darker haired spider turned to Takumi and opened his mouth.

“I know why you aren’t getting as much power as you’re obviously used to. It’s a basic and simple thing.” he pointed at one of the gauges and Takumi followed his motion intently. “That is your tachometer.”

“Tachometer?” Takumi echoed, sounding intrigued.

“That one is no good, it doesn’t go high enough. This engine is a high-rev, which means it generates its power at a very high rpm. All professional, ‘normally aspirated’ engines are like this. The fact that you get a surge of power right before shifting is proof of that. You need to be able to rev it higher, and because of the tachometer you haven’t been able to use it to its full capacity. From what I’ve witnessed, this engine is capable of at least ten thousand rpm.” Takumi’s eyes widened and his pupils contracted, his pedipalps shifted in intrigue and with that Wataru knew he had the red widow’s full attention. “A tachometer that only shows seven thousand rpm or so won’t cut it. The bountiful treasure that your engine holds is thus left unused.” Takumi looked floored, and Wataru was quick to get out and open the hood of the car to look at the engine once more. “This isn’t an original 86 engine. It’s a 4AG, but it’s also a five-valve-head that’s been adapted over from the newer 101. There’s supposed to be a ‘VVT’ device that switches valve timing at lower and higher rpms.”

 ** _‘That’s a lot of words we can’t understand.’_** Spider whined, and Takumi hushed him.

“The fact that there isn’t one here means that this is a super high-rev engine.” Wataru shut the hood and was silent for a moment. “What I sat next to you, I noticed something. The interior panel looks way too cheap for the kind of engine you have. You need to have, at the very least, water temperature and oil pressure gauges. The person who installed this engine has terrific knowledge of auto mechanics. The tires and breaks are well balanced, as well as the body. So where are the essential gauges? There is only one answer to that question.” he turned towards Takumi and looked him straight in the eyes. “For whatever reason, the engine’s true power has been sealed off on purpose.”

“Sealed off?” Takumi echoed, owl eyed.

“It’s a simple by reliable way to do it. A good racer won’t over-rev. So, without a new tachometer, he’s unable to rev beyond the red zone.”

“Why would dad… limit me like that?” Takumi asked, sounding distressed, and Wataru turned to walk back to his own 86 before pausing.

“You know, I’ve often felt camaraderie towards fellow 86 racers… but never hostility like I do now.” Takumi tensed and began clicking in warning. “This is very new to me. I have a strong desire to defeat you now. No matter how well you can race, you lack an essential element as a racer. I absolutely can’t lose to you, we’ll settle our dispute shortly!” and with that, Wataru got in his own car and raced off.

“I’m lacking… an essential element?” Takumi repeated softly, looking more lost and confused than he has in his whole life. "What is it that I lack? I don't understand."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wataru is a Mouse Spider. More specifically the Eastern Mouse Spider, Missulena bradleyi. As is Kazumi. This might be the last chapter I post for a while, until I finish watching the Second Stage.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our favorite human falls in love, and the spider learns that his friend's love is threatened.

Itsuki was practically dead to the world as he stood there, staring off into space. Iketani and Kenji eyeballed him with worry.

“He’s been like this for a while.” Iketani stated. “You think Takumi passed his daydreaming bug onto him?”

“I take mild offence to that.” Takumi said as he came towards them. Iketani chuckled.

“I didn’t mean anything by it, Takumi.” he responded, watching as Kenji approached Itsuki and waved a hand in his face.

“Itsuki! Hey, Itsuki!” when he didn’t receive a response, Kenji grew agitated and grabbed one of his shoulders, jostling it firmly. “Itsuki, god damn it!”

“Ah!” Itsuki suddenly came back to them at that, his eyes focusing as he startled.

“Itsuki, are you alright?” Takumi asked, concerned.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” Itsuki responded quickly.

“You were pretty out of it.” Iketani pointed out. “Just what were you daydreaming about to get like that?” Itsuki chuckled nervously.

“Well, y-you see…” Takumi heard movement behind him and turned to see Kazumi making her way towards them.

“Itsuki.” he said, gesturing to her, and Itsuki was over to her in seconds, much to the verbal surprise of Iketani and Kenji.

“Kazumi!” Itsuki exclaimed. “Did you get off early?” Kazumi was silent, her face unchanging, and Takumi felt worry claw up his spine. “Kazumi?”

“Ah, I’m sorry to bother you while you’re at work, Itsuki.”

“It’s alright, honestly.”

“If you say so. What time do you get off today? I’m free for the rest of the day, so I thought we could hang out.” Takumi looked between them, eyes wide, and it suddenly clicked. Itsuki’s behavior was obvious, he liked her a lot, but what about Kazumi? Takumi had never been any good at reading other Jorōgumo, having only ever been around his dad.

 ** _‘We hope that doesn’t turn out horribly.’_** Spider echoed in his head, and Takumi agreed.

“I can wait somewhere until you’re done with your work, if you need me too.” Kazumi finished, and Itsuki looked tense, like he would bolt at any second.

“Could you give me a moment?” Itsuki asked. “Wait here for like, a minute at least!” he did bolt that time, straight past the three watching. “Boss!” he yelled as he charged into the store.

“Whoa, Itsuki!?” Yuichi’s voice echoed from inside.

“I’m leaving early for personal reasons!” Itsuki’s voice echoed right after, and after a minute, Itsuki came rushing back out in his school clothes.

“Itsuki? Where are you going?” Takumi asked as his friend ran by. He didn’t need to, he already had an idea as to where, but he did anyway. As his friend got into his 85, he heard him yell something about covering his shift as he drove up to Kazumi.

“Come on, get in!”

“Is it really okay!?”

“Of course! Come on!” Kazumi nodded and got in, and with that, Itsuki was out of the lot and gone, just as Yuichi came up to stand beside them.

“How hectic.” he commented passively. “I’ll give him the rest of today off, just this once. Ah, to be young and in love.”

“Hey, Iketani, just who was that girl? Is she his girlfriend or something?” Kenji asked, and Iketani chuckled.

“Maybe. I don’t really know. It would seem like it though.”

“So quickly? But he just got dumped.” Kenji groused, and Takumi turned to stare at him. “He has another girl already?”

“Kenji. It’s been two months.” Takumi said evenly, and the human flushed red. Itsuki’s last relationship was a tense topic, added to the fact that Takumi hasn’t even known about her until after she’d left him. “That’s plenty of time to get over a girl he hadn’t dated long.”

“Never mind that.” Iketani said. “I’m happy he’s found someone, maybe now he’ll be a little less mopey.”

 

~0~

 

“Were you really allowed to leave work like that?” Kazumi asked, glancing out towards the water then back at Itsuki.

“Of course!” Itsuki responded. “My boss might be a little agitated that I popped it on him so suddenly tomorrow, but he’ll be fine with it.” he smiled at her placatingly and she smiled in return, before they both fell into a comfortable silence.

“You know,” she said, catching his attention. “When I was growing up, I was always with aniki.”

“You two seem incredibly close.” Itsuki commented passively.

“After he got into racing, I’d always go with him to his races. There was a time when I was using most of my salary to maintain his car.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. There was nothing I wanted to do. It was easy for me to follow around my car-crazed brother. But, that isn’t any good, he and I are two completely separate entities. I need to find out what I want to do with my life. It’s just unfortunate that there’s nothing I’m passionate about right now.” Itsuki watched as her pedipalps shifted nervously as she stood and walked over to the edge of the wall, looking over the lake. “But I swear I’ll find something to be passionate about. Up until now, I hadn’t had anyone to talk to like this.” she turned to him. “So I’m very glad to have met you, Itsuki.”

“I’m glad to have met you too, Kazumi.”

 

~0~

 

Takumi stared at the 86, a frown set deep on his face.

“Why would dad have the power of the 86 sealed?” Takumi asked quietly as he stepped up to the car and popped the hood, taking a peak at the engine below. “It doesn’t make sense.”

 ** _‘Sire’s reasoning behind many things is always obscure.’_** Spider said gently. **_‘We may never make sense of why he’s done this to her. We can only hope to awaken out dearest 86 before the race with the Other.’_**

“Right.” Takumi responded, shutting the hood. “He says I lack an essential element. Fine. We’ll find out just all that we’re missing. I won’t be looked down upon like this.” he huffed and walked back into the house, heading up the stairs and flopping on his bed as his mind wandered.

_“I absolutely can’t lose to you. We’ll settle this shortly!”_

“We can’t avoid this race.” Takumi muttered.

**_‘We’ve been dragged in. To avoid this race is to mark ourselves cowards. We must accept, even if we don’t like it.’_ **

 

~0~

 

“Ah, it’s gotten pretty dark.” Itsuki groused as they walked towards the 85. “I’ll drive you to the hotel after dinner, alright?”

“I… I don’t want to go back there.”

“Ah, you don’t wanna go back. That’s-” Itsuki stumbled and turned to look at Kazumi, eyes wide. “What?”

“Something happened at work today...” she noticed that Itsuki was watching her, worried, and she clicked a little. “I have this horrid co-worker who blames me for all of her mistakes and lies to our supervisor about me. It’s completely unbearable.”

“Then I’ll stay with you until you’re feeling better about going home!” Itsuki exclaimed, and Kazumi gave him a wide eyed look. “For as long as it takes!” a wide smile split her face and her eyes lit up, and after talking for a while they found themselves in the 85, Kazumi teaching Itsuki how to drift.

“There! Steer while braking lightly!”

“Right!” following her instructions, Itsuki bright the 85 into a basic drift around the corner.

“You’re good at this!” she exclaimed, and Itsuki grins widely.

“You’re good at teaching! Takumi tried to help me once, but he focuses more on pointing out sensations then actually telling me what to do. You’re much better than he is!”

“Aniki taught me many things while I sat beside him in his 86.” Kazumi responded. “It all just stayed in my head.”

“Really? I bet you’d be great at this once you got your licence.”

“Oh, that’s not true.” he pedipalps shifted in embarrassment. “I’m all talk. I could never race a mountain pass myself.”

“You don’t have to race, that’s just one of the many pleasures having a car brings you. There’s more to getting your licence than racing. Driving will just open up the world to you. Getting your licence could lead you places. You could go anywhere with a single foot and your hands at the wheel! It’s a fun sort of freedom.” Kazumi watched the human drive with a soft smile, he was passionate about this. It was amazing to witness.

Later in the night, Itsuki parked on the side of the road and reclined the seats all the way back, handing Kazumi a blanket from the back. The two of them curled up on their respective sides and for a while, all was silent.

“... are you asleep, Itsuki?” Kazumi asked quietly.

“No.” Itsuki responded, sounding distant. “Not yet.”

“I was going to quit my job and go back to Saitama.” she admitted, feeling her limbs curl around her. “But, I’ll give working here another try. Quitting is easy, but I’d just end up back where I started.” there was a small snore to her right and she turned to see Itsuki fast asleep. She smiled softly. He was pretty cute, for a human. She was glad he was her friend.

 

~0~

 

“Takumi!” Itsuki exclaimed, bubbly and bright. Takumi rose a brow, curious as to why Itsuki seemed to be so happy today.

“Ah, hello Itsuki.” Takumi responded, watching his friend lean against the railing.

“If anyone asks, I was hanging out with you from last night until now, okay?” Takumi’s eyes visibly widened and he completely turned to Itsuki.

“What!? Doesn’t that mean that you just got back this morning!?”

“Yeah.”

“Were you with Kazumi the whole time?”

“Yeah!” Takumi turned to lean against the railing as well, his mouth opened wide in surprise. “WHAT’S THAT LOOK FOR!? DON’T BE GETTING THE WRONG IDEA YOU OVERGROWN ARACHNID, ALL WE DID WAS GO TO THE PASS AND SLEEP IN THE CAR!”

“But that’s incredibly improper.” Takumi pointed out. “At least, for mortal standards.”

“That doesn’t matter in this scenario, Takumi. She said that she couldn’t bring herself to go home last night. I stayed with her to make sure she stayed safe. It’s a man’s job after all.”

“Is it?” Takumi asked. “I wouldn’t know.”

“Of course you wouldn’t, you’re with Keisuke.” Itsuki waved him off. “Besides, I was so happy yesterday. We talked about lots of things. I really feel like we grew closer, it was like I dream.” he sighed dreamily. “I think I’m in love with her, Takumi.” Takumi turned surprised eyes to his friend, looking vaguely spooked.

“You’re certain?” he asked, and Itsuki nodded rapidly. “Well…”

“Takumi, what now.”

“A relationship between a mortal and a Jorōgumo hasn’t ever been documented to end well.” Takumi muttered. “But if you like her, I’ll do everything in my power to help you get with her, if she even decides to give the two of you a chance.”

“REALLY!?” Itsuki crowed, and at Takumi’s nod he dragged the spider into a tight hug. “YOU’RE LITERALLY THE BEST, TAKUMI!”

 

~0~

 

Takumi groaned as the phone rang and forced him to get up, his many limbs all popping from a lack of movement. Usually he wouldn’t be in his full shift, but Keisuke had asked him to start being in it more often, so he complied. He was weak for his mate and he knew it.

 _“Dad!”_ he called out, and received no response. _“Ah, he must have gone out. Damn.”_ sighing, he picked up the phone. _“Hello, Fujiwara Tofu Shop.”_ he answered in a rehearsed tone.

 _“Fujiwara.”_ the voice on the other end caused Takumi to tense, Spider hissing angrily in his head.

_“W-What… how in the hell-”_

_“How I got your number isn’t too important.”_

_“Oh no, it’s important alright. Having my number without me giving it to you is pretty stalkerish. Makes me wonder what else you know. You’re slowly but surely making yourself out to be a threat to my nest, Akiyama!”_ Takumi snarled, and Wataru’s breathing hitched.

 _“It wasn’t hard to find it out, not when your car advertises the name of your family’s shop.”_ he defended. _“Anyway, I’ll be coming to Gunma tomorrow to retrieve my sister.”_ Takumi’s own breathing hitched at that. That would hurt Itsuki. _“I heard she had taken off from work yesterday, and didn’t come back until this morning. Such irresponsibility, I can’t stand it. So because of that, it reminded me of you. I want to race you, so you had better leave tomorrow night open. Your engine had better be fully functional by then, or I’ll be very, very cross. I’m trusting you on this one. I’ll be in touch.”_ and with that, he hung up.

 ** _‘HOW DARE HE DEMAND ANYTHING FROM US!’_** Spider snarled in his head.

 _“That’s not what we should focus on. He’s coming to get his sister and take her away. Itsuki will be heartbroken.”_ Takumi paced back and forth. _“What can we do? We have to tell Itsuki.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. Can't wait to get to the actual race. It's one of my favorites.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the spider enlists help to unlock his 86, and a race is planned as tensions rise

“Takumi?” Iketani asked curiously. It was fairly late, and he knew the spider wasn't one to miss out on the chance to sleep, or spend time with his mate if he could. “What’s going on?”

“I have a favor to ask of you.” Takumi responded, his pedipalps shifting visibly in the low light produced by the store. Iketani was on guard, under normal circumstances, Takumi would never risk being partially shifted out by the pumps.

“Huh?”

“The driver of that turbo 86 told me to keep my schedule for tomorrow night empty, and I know that means he wants to race me. I have to make this engine usable by then. I need your help installing a new tachometer.”

“A tachometer?” Iketani echoed, surprised. He wonders who told Takumi that to get him to come to him for help.

“Yeah, you know car stuff! I am completely and utterly clueless, so please, help me!”

“Alright Takumi, I’ll help. Pop the hood, I want to take a look at that engine.” Takumi brightened noticeably and hurried over to his car, doing as Iketani asked and allowing the wolf to lift the hood so he could look.

“So?”

“I’m not certain of the specifics, but I can tell that this engine isn’t just any engine. It had a good carburetor and a wildly twisted header. It seems to be a new five-valve engine, a really tuned up one at that. It’s terribly difficult to believe that this one is less powerful than the old one.”

“The driver of the Turbo 86, Wataru Akiyama, told me that I would get more power at a higher rpm. I really want to believe what he said.”

“Well, unlocking a sealed off high-rev zone… if he’s right, then it’s an exciting prospect.” Iketani grinned ferally at the car, his eyes flashing amber. “It’s not that hard to install a tachometer, but there’s one thing I’m unsure about.” Takumi turned to him, pedipalps shifting as confusion crossed his face.

“Huh?” Iketani turned to look at Takumi more.

“Are you sure you want to change the current setup without asking your dad first?”

“Dad wasn’t home tonight, and he wouldn’t ever say yes if I asked him face to face. I have to take matters into my own hands. I want, and need, to be able to use this engine to its full potential by tomorrow night.”

“Understood.” Iketani said. “In that case, I’ll help you to the best of my ability. I’ll go buy a tachometer first thing in the morning. When you get out of classes, bring the car here as fast as you possibly can.” Takumi smiled brightly and bowed a little.

“Thank you so much, Iketani. You’re a huge help.”

“You and your 86 have saved my ass many times, this is the least I can do to repay you for that.”

 

~0~

 

“AH! THIS IS BAD, THIS IS BAD!” Yuichi watched with wide eyes as Iketani paced back and forth in a vague panic, his hands grasping at his upper arms as he went. “The latest I can get a ten thousand rpm tachometer is in a week, and I need one today! Oh god, what am I going to tell Takumi!?”

“Won’t his opponent understand that no one in the area carries the part currently?” Yuichi asked, and Iketani turned his golden eyes to him.

“Would you happen to know anyone who might have one?”

“Ah, well, I could try Masashi.” Yuichi muttered as he dug his phone out of his pocket. It didn’t take him long at all to find his friend’s number and call him.

“Hello?” Masashi answered immediately, and Yuichi sighed in relief.

“Masashi, its Yuichi, you wouldn’t happen to have a ten thousand rpm tachometer, would you?”

“Ah, Yuichi? I mean, yeah, I do. Why?”

“You actually have one!?”

“Yeah! Bunta asked me to get one for that 86 of his.” Iketani’s ears twitched and he removed his hat, relaxing minutely as they twitched around. “A racing tachometer, and water temperature and oil pressure gauges.”

“That’s wonderful!” Yuichi grinned widely at Iketani, who was wide eyed.

“All of that for the 86?” Iketani muttered, having easily heard what the man on the other line had said.

“This is likely what Bunta meant when he said he was sealing the engine.” Yuichi whispered in response, before turning back to the phone. “Masashi, you have to bring all of that over here right now, it’s urgent!”

 

~0~

 

“Okay, now you just have to screw that down.” Iketani guided, watching Takumi gently secure the tachometer. “And there, it’s done! That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Takumi shot him a vaguely unamused look as they got out of the 86 so Takumi could put the tools away.

“That didn’t take as long as I thought it would.” Kenji commented, and Takumi groaned. “I didn’t mean anything by it, relax.”

“Whatever.” Takumi rolled his eyes as he closed the tool kit, then turned back to the 86. “Thank you both for the help. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to install that on my own.”

“The tachometer isn’t the end of it.” Iketani said, gaining Takumi’s attention. “A high-rev engine doesn’t rev infinitely, and since we don’t know it’s top rpm, you can’t have a full-blast race. I’m positive that your father knows what the top rpm is. If you don’t know it’s limit, you might end up damaging the engine.” Takumi flinched.

“You want me to ask dad?” he groused, placing a hand on his head. “That might be difficult…”

“Wh-” Kenji was cut off by a high pitched squeal, and the three of them turned in time to see the other 86 pull into the lot. Takumi was immediately on edge, Spider growling angrily in his head, and they watched as Wataru got out and began to approach.

“Hey, isn’t that-” Iketani was cut off by Takumi walking towards the other 86 driver, his eyes flashing in vague territorial hostility.

“It looks like you’ve been busy.” Wataru commented tensely, and Takumi nearly bared his teeth. “Just like I had told you, we’ll be racing tonight, and I’ll let you pick the course.”

“Akina doesn’t hold much excitement for me anymore.” Takumi responded. “I know it far too well for that. I’d prefer anywhere but.”

“I see.” Wataru looked thoughtful. “Then how about Shomaru Pass? It’s my home turf, might be fun to see what you do on it.” Takumi frowned lightly, cautious. Was this a suggestion, or a true invitation into a territory not his own? “I wouldn’t have suggested the pass if I wasn’t going to allow you there.”

“... alright then. That sounds fine.” Takumi finally responded, and Wataru smirked.

“Excellent.” he responded, then turned back to his car. “I expect to see you there.” and with that, he rushed off, prompting Iketani and Kenji to hurry over.

“Did he say Shomaru?” Iketani asked, and Takumi nodded.

“Great! We’ll go there and root for you!” Kenji crowed, and Takumi relaxed.

 

~0~

 

Kazumi recoiled as Wataru slapped her, prompting her form to half shift as she bared her fangs at him. He responded in kind, his own fangs glinting in the light.

 _“I told you not to make our aunt look bad, and what did you do!? She called our parents in a tizzy, panicked because you up and vanished, and apparently didn’t come back until yesterday morning!”_ Kazumi growled at him, and he crossed his limbs. _“Get everything packed up tonight. I’m taking you back home.”_

 _“YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!”_ she screeched, and he recoiled. _“THAT IS MY DECISION TO MAKE! I know it was wrong to stay out until morning without letting anyone know, but for Outsider’s sake, I’m an adult! I did nothing I’m ashamed of, so there’s no way in hell that I have to go home!”_

_“Then how about you explain that to our parents, instead of yelling at me? If you really like it here, tell them so and come back. I can tell that you’ve changed a little, hell, you’ve even matured a little as well, but they refuse to believe that, and you know it. They’ll lay off if you come home and tell them off yourself.”_

_“That was low, and manipulative, but you’re right. I’ll come home. I can’t believe none of you trust me to keep myself safe. It’s ridiculous.”_

 

~0~

 

“Takumi, what’s going on?” Itsuki asked, closing the gate to his home behind him.

“A lot, Itsuki.” Takumi sighed. “I’m razing Kazumi’s brother tonight.”

“WHAT!?”

“Yeah, and I have a favor to ask.”

“What?”

“I need you to come with me, and talk with Kazumi. I mean actually talk.”

“W-what? Why?”

“Her brother found out that she hadn’t returned to the hotel, and came back out this way to take her home. I said that I was going to help you get with her if I could, and this threatens everything.”

“She’s going home?” Itsuki echoed. “Is she gonna come back?”

“That’s up to her, Itsuki. Talk to her about it.” he sighed. “So you’ll come with me, right?”

“Of course! Even if it wasn’t for this reason, I still would have gone.”

“Thanks, Itsuki. I’ll pick you up when I make my way out there, alright?”

“Yeah. And Takumi!” Takumi’s hand paused above the door handle and he turned to look at Itsuki. “Thank you for telling me.”

 

~0~

 

“Dad.” Takumi called as he entered the shop, walking back in time to see Bunta muting the television.

_“Yeah?”_

“I know what you did to the engine.” he stated, and Bunta looked surprised. “I was told by someone who drives an 86 themselves, they found out about the engine and demanded I take them for a ride. They want to race me tonight and I plan on going.”

 _“Ah.”_ Bunta responded simply. _“So you have everything fixed up?”_

“Yeah, but there’s one final thing I have to know.” Bunta turned his full attention on his kid. “What is the 86’s top rpm?” there was silence, and Bunta let out a sigh, grunting as he stood and made his way towards his kid.

 _“It's about time you came to me about the damn engine.”_ he muttered. _“Make sure you rev up to eleven thousand rpm.”_ Takumi grinned widely at him, and Bunta grinned in response as he headed out towards the garage. _“And remember, kid, don’t lose.”_ Takumi hurried back out to the 86, exhilarated.

“Thanks, dad! I won’t let you down!”

_“I’m sure you won’t, kid. I’m sure you won’t.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're about one or two chapters away from the end, isn't that sad?


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which two spiders race and onlookers make observations.

Keisuke was tense as he drove out towards Saitama, following Ryousuke to where he knew Takumi and the other 86 driver would meet. His hands clenched the steering wheel tightly and his eyes were slightly narrowed.

“Shomaru Pass…” Keisuke muttered. “Dangerous conditions to be driving under. I hope Takumi knows what he’s doing, not even he is infallible.” he heard Nejibana click sleepily in the seat beside him and knew that she agreed.

Ryousuke was of the same opinion, frowning as he drove on.

 **“When I saw Takumi last, he still wasn’t used to the revived 86. For him to accept a race off of his home turf, something must have happened.”** the expression on his face relaxed slightly. **“The veil of secrecy around that new engine is coming off. I can’t wait to see what Takumi has in store for us.”**

 

~0~

 

“Oh, I’m so excited, I just can’t keep calm!” Kenji exclaimed as he leaned against Iketani’s car.

“I feel the exact same way.” Iketani responded, arms crossed. “But I still have a shift to finish. You should go and-” Iketani was cut off by footsteps behind him, and he turned to see Yuichi with his face turned away. “Boss?”

“You two should just go to the race while I’m not looking.” he jeered good naturedly, prompting Iketani’s jaw to drop.

“Really!?” Iketani asked incredulously, and grinned widely when Yuichi nodded. “Come on, Kenji!”

“Right!” Yuichi watched, amused, as the two got into the S13 and raced off.

“You know, if I were any younger, I’d leave work to see that race too.” he chuckled, before watching a car pull in. “For now, though, I have a business to run!”

“GOD DAMN IT!” Kenji snarled as they came to a red light. “IT’S LIKE WE’VE BEEN HITTING EVERY RED LIGHT IN SHIBUKAWA! WE’RE IN A HURRY! WE’RE GONNA BE LATE!”

“Kenji, calm down! The moment we get out on the highway, it'll be a quick journey.” Iketani said gently. “We won’t be late, we’ll be there just in time, I know it!”

 

~0~

 

“Kazumi!” Itsuki exclaimed, taking Kazumi aback as he walked over to her.

 _“Itsuki?"_ she questioned, terribly confused.

“Hi.” he chirped. Wataru cleared his throat, catching their attention.

_“You two wait here.”_

_“What? Why?”_

_“This place is a bus station. Should anything happen to our cars, you two won’t be stuck here.”_ he looked at Takumi. _“Remember, you agreed to racing out here.”_

“Takumi? What’s he talking about?” Itsuki questioned, decently spooked, while Kazumi’s eyes widened.

_“You’re racing on Shomaru Pass, aren’t you!? You two shouldn’t race there! PICK ANOTHER PLACE-”_

_“Kazumi, be quiet.”_ Wataru snapped, causing his sister to recoil as he turned back to Takumi, who’s own pedipalps were shifting agitatedly. _“Just so you know, the pass out here is a narrow and tricky one. I’ll lead first, and seeing as this is your first time on the road, we’ll set precautions. We alternate the lead, and keep going until one of us pulls away, or passes the other. It’s sudden death. Of we’re equally skilled, another element will be the deciding factor.”_

“Another factor?” Itsuki echoed softly, and Wataru turned towards him.

 _“Luck, stamina, compatibility with the car. That sort of thing.”_ he looked back at Takumi. _“When we arrive, I’ll turn on my hazards and we’ll start, alright?”_ Takumi nodded. _“Then let's go.”_

As the two 86s rushed off, Itsuki felt worry claw up his spine.

“Is Shomaru Pass really that dangerous?”

_“It’s a very old road. While it’s not that long, it starts out uphill, then had a downhill for a middle. It’s terrifyingly narrow, and has very poor visibility, which has resulted in many accidents. The upkeep on the guardrails is poor, so they’re rusted. The road itself is uneven and slippery. Aniki has had two accidents there, said that it was a tough pass to run.”_

“WHAT!? This is Takumi’s first time out here! That’s far too risky!”

_“I know, but they’ve settled on it. I doubt we would have been able to change their minds.”_

 

~0~

 

Takumi took a deep breath as he watched Wataru’s hazard lights come on, his body tense as his limbs emerged from beneath the leather jacket to stabilize himself.

 ** _‘Here we go.’_** Spider stated, his tone tense as Takumi began his chase, speeding up. The car tilted upwards and Takumi grimaced, he disliked uphills, but he made sure to keep close to Wataru on this road. Even if he wasn’t used to the engine yet, he was still on top of his reaction timing, and as he turned a corner he felt his car jerk minutely as he received the oddest power-boost, which caused him to widen his eyes.

_“What the-”_

**_‘Was that the engine?’_** Spider was ridiculously intrigued, and Takumi would admit that he was too.

 

~0~

 

 _“What did I tell you?”_ Wataru said as he eyed Takumi’s 86 in his rear view. _“That’s a wonderful engine, allowing you to keep up with me on this uphill.”_ he smirked ferally, his eyes flashing as he clicked with excitement. _“THERE’S NO NEED TO TAKE THIS RACE EASY!”_

As the race continued on, Takumi still hot on his tail, Wataru felt anticipation and anxiety climb up his spine, and he clenched at the wheel.

 _“I race in an 86, because defeating an opponent with a disadvantageous old car is so very satisfying. But this, this is different. This is a race against another 86, and this time, it’s a matter of pride, not satisfaction. I absolutely can’t lose to another 86!”_ he chanced another glance at the 86 behind his own and felt his jaw clench. _“I’ve never felt this much pressure in a race before. That Trueno radiates an aura unlike any that I’ve seen before!”_

 

~0~

 

“Are you positive that this is a good spot, Keisuke?” Kenta asked as Keisuke reclined against the stairs, Nejibana snoozing away in his hair.

“This course is so narrow that there isn’t anywhere else to watch from.” Keisuke responded, just as the sound of squealing tires reached his ears, and he stood up in time to see the two 86s speed by, one of them squealing as the turbo kicked in before they drifted around the corner. Nejibana let out some agitated sounding clicks as she shifted. “That sounded like boom turbo. Obsolete, if I remember correctly.”

“Hey, Keisuke,” Kenta piped up, causing Keisuke to turn and look at him. “Aren’t the Levin and the Trueno the exact same car, barring the front and tail lamp designs?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, why do they run so differently, then?”

“Ah… well…” a thoughtful look came over his face and he closed his eyes. “Ah, I can’t explain it. While I understand it completely in my head, I’m terrible at explaining what I’m thinking.” Ryousuke chuckled at him.

 **“You aren’t lying.”** he called, his tail slashing through the air. **“As Kenta said, the Levin and the Trueno are like twins, but since their engines take entirely different tuning methods, they’ve become two entirely different cars.”** Kenta let out a sound of understanding. **“Without the turbocharger, the method used is called mechanical tuning, which is just what Takumi’s Trueno is. With his foot on the gas pedal, he controls the rpm directly, and it’s instant response is its strength. Even after entering a corner at nearly top speed, he’s able to further adjust his attack. Without turbo, he is able to attack corners aggressively, cars like his excel at entering corners. In contrast to this, the Levin he faces in a turbo. While it’s a step slower at corners, it’s acceleration on the straights makes up for it easily. Turbo cars excel at exiting corners.”**

“That’s a lot to process.” Kenta muttered, vaguely dazed, before his eyes brightened. “Ah, what about the Levin’s fishtailing, then?”

**“Boom turbo tends to lag, so once the boost pressure drops, it takes time to get back up. That’s why he seems to be keeping his foot on the gas when exiting corners, and controls using counter-steer only. He’s probably mastered that fishtailing technique to deal with the peculiarities of his car.”**

“Is that everything you wanted to know, Kenta?” Keisuke asked, feeling agitation climb up his spine when Nejibana smacked him with her leg to get him to stop moving. “Pass racing is a complex thing.”

“Yeah, I understand everything I had been confused about.”

 

~0~

 

Takumi was tense as he chased after Wataru, his eyes locked on the tail end of his opponent’s vehicle as Spider kept an eye on his surroundings for him. Wataru hasn’t been lying when he had said this pass was narrow and tricky, he was sweating more and more with each corner tackled. He watched the car in front of him swerve suddenly and widened his eyes as he registered a landslide and swerved as well.

 ** _‘LANDSLIDE!’_** Spider shrieked, delayed in his reaction by seconds as the 86's tires clipped the dirt littering the road and forced the back to fly close to the guard rail.

 _“What the fuck was with that!?”_ he exclaimed, agitation chasing terror up his spine as his heart raced. He forced himself to calm down. Losing his head to terror would not do.

 

~0~

 

“You’re positive this is the place?” Iketani asked, side eyeing his first.

“Ah, yeah.” Kenji responded. “This is one of the ends of Shomaru Pass, Takumi told us he was racing out here.” there was a high pitched squeal as the sound of two engines reached Iketani’s ears and he perked, looking out towards the road. “You have to tell me how you do that.” Kenji’s voice was awed as the engine sounds grew closer.

“After this race, we’ll talk about it.” Iketani promised, just as the two 86s flew around the corner and swerved to a stop facing the way they came. They sat there for a little, before Takumi’s car began again in the lead and they both raced off, back to the other end of the pass.

“Wow, a boom turbo.” Kenji muttered.

“That car almost looks out of control. He’s barely staying on the road.”

“But when he’s on, he’s ridiculously fast. He’s a different kind of racer who breaks all the conventional rules.”

 

~0~

 

 **“Right now, all of the elements are against Takumi.”** Ryousuke commented, his ears swiveling around on his head as the distant sound of engines began to strengthen. Keisuke's eyes we locked on the road ahead, and Ryousuke could tell that his brother was nervous.  **“This is a tricky course where he has no experience, and the Levin’s irregular pace breaks his rhythm. But, more than anything, is the fact that he’s been feeling uneasy with this revived and unfamiliar version of his 86. That, in and of itself, is his biggest handicap.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cutting the race in half because I'm tired AND this is already like 1700+ words so like hahaha


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a race is finished off, and a human realizes that maybe love isn't to be found where he had been looking as the curtain closes

Takumi grit his teeth as he led, feeling the 86 vibrate and slide as he ran the road.

 ** _‘This road is in horrible condition.’_** Spider commented.

 _“You got that right.”_ Takumi agreed. _“It’s making the car shake. It doesn’t help me any that the inner side of the road is completely unusable!”_ he drifted the next corner, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.

**_‘The outer edge of the road appears unusable as well. Useless for coming out of corners.’_ **

_“This road is more unusable in racing than I had first assumed! I-”_ he suddenly cut himself off as he drifted a corner, the ease of it catching his attention immediately as his eyes glanced at the tachometer then back to the road. _“Was I imagining that? If I wasn’t, then that’s what dad meant by what he said. How sneaky.”_

 

~0~

 

Itsuki sighed softly as the machine dispensed two warm coffees, his gaze turning to Kazumi as he removed the drinks from the slot. She looked distant and upset, he hoped he could get her to stop moping as she was. He began back towards her, coming up beside her in time to hear his whisper something soft enough to where he couldn’t make out what.

“Kazumi.” he said, knocking her out of her daze as he held the drink out to her.

 _“Oh.”_ she said, taking it gently. _“Thank you.”_ she held it to her cheek and nearly crooned. _“So warm.”_ Itsuki chuckled and sat beside her, opening his own can. _“Itsuki.”_

“Hmm?”

 _“I’m not going to be going back to Gunma.”_ Itsuki’s eyes widened and his grip on the can nearly failed. _“So… I guess this would be a goodbye conversation.”_

“W-What?” his grip really did fail on the can that time, leaving it to fall on the ground and spill coffee all over the concrete.

 _“My parents found out about my leaving work that day and are terribly angry with me, that’s why aniki came to pick me up. But that’s not really the reason I’m not going back. I thought about it on the way here, I need to choose my own path in life. I can only say I was right in the end if I choose my own path myself.”_ Itsuki’s arm fell to his lap and he listened intently as Kazumi’s voice became tinged with emotion. This was obviously something she had thought hard about.

“Wise.”

 _“You see, my old job and the temporary one at the hotel weren’t my idea.”_ she plowed on. _“I want to find a job all by myself, of my own credit and violation. I want to do all of this with a single goal in mind.”_

“A goal?”

 _“I want to save up and get my license, like you had suggested. It’ll be my first step towards independence. It was wrong of me to think that moving to another place would solve my problems. I…”_ her pedipalps shifted and she wrapped a few limbs around herself. _“I want to hold the steering wheel for once, instead of sitting in the passenger seat. I want to run by myself, without anyone’s help. So I won’t be going back to Gunma. I can’t get my licence there!”_ she turned towards him completely. _“Itsuki, thank you for literally everything!” Itsuki smiled gently, as he felt his heart fall._

“Of course, it’s no problem. What are friends for?”

 

~0~

 

“They’re coming back around!” Kenta exclaimed, and Keisuke perked, just as the two cars squealed around the corner and away around the next.

“That run looked more fluid from Takumi.” Keisuke commented.

 **“Good. That means he’s getting used to the engine.”** Ryousuke commented.

“Huh?” Kenta asked, looking at both of them blankly.

**“Takumi grows closer and closer to his old style of running with each corner passed. It isn’t long now before the 86 awakens at Takumi’s hands and a completely new monster is born.”**

 

~0~

 

_“So I hadn’t been imagining it at all, she getting easier to control.”_

**_‘We had been struggling with her only yesterday.’_ **

_“Yes. We had been. Was it because of the power of the engine? All this tells me is that I CAN control her.”_ Takumi felt exhilaration rise within him and grinned toothily.

**_‘That’s just what we needed to know. We have a chance!’_ **

_“I CAN PULL THIS OFF!”_

 

~0~

 

Wataru’s eyes widened as he noticed the 86 in front of him stabilize just the barest amount.

 _“Shit, he’s getting the road. I had been planning to just observe his style this round, but it seems that won’t work. His adaptability is incredible, to be this confident on this tricky a road this quickly is amazing, no other first-timer could race this fast here! I hate to admit it, but I’m impressed!”_ he narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. _“Racers like you do exist, it seems.”_ a smirk split his features and he chuckled.

This was enthralling.

 _“I REFUSE TO LOSE ON MY HOME TURF! THIS RACE WILL BE A TOUGH ONE!”_ as he announced that aloud, it was almost like Takumi heard him as he picked up his pace and jumped ahead a little, prompting Wataru to lose the smirk and grit his teeth again as he pushed the gas pedal down a little more in order to catch up to him, his car swerving slightly as his turbo kicked in. His eyes narrowed again as he watched Takumi drift the corner, something was different about it, but he didn’t know what.

It was agitating, but he had other things on his mind.

 _“Good pass racers are the coolest, and you’re not bad.”_ he continued to comment. _“Your sharp technique could convince anyone about that.”_ a sharp smile cut through his serious expression. _“I can stand to go for broke with my Levin! I had wanted excitement like this, I’m truly the luckiest spider alive!”_ as they spun around to a stop at the start of the pass, he held up three fingers and locked eyes with his opponent, catching sight of the deep red pedipalps on his face shifting agitatedly as he nodded in agreement. That was all it took for him to speed back the way they came for their third run. _“I had been going full blast at the end of that run, but you have to be tiring out. You’re an amazing opponent, but even you have to have a limit, I’ll finish you off this round! Despite this, you’ve set my spirit on fire!”_

 

~0~

 

“It’s rare for a race to last this long.” Keisuke commented. “This is a test of endurance, someone should have dipped out by now.”

**“This sort of race is both physically and mentally demanding if you want to maintain extreme intensity while dealing with continuous lateral G-force. This is especially so when the course is this tricky.”**

“Others would have definitely given up by now.” Kenta echoed Keisuke’s earlier sentiments.

“Stamina will be a major factor in this.” Ryousuke felt his wings shift and flicked his ears.

**“Well, all we know is that whoever loses focus first will be the one to lose.”**

 

~0~

 

Itsuki stared into the distance, a sad look on his face as he contemplated what he learned. If Kazumi moves back, he may never see her again. What was he supposed to do in this situation? He glanced to Kazumi and gulped. Maybe he should tell her? It likely wouldn’t change anything but it would be nice to get it out there.

 _“Itsuki?”_ Kazumi’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. _“Are you alright? You look distressed by something.”_

“Oh, uh… I…” he trailed off, feeling anxiety crawl up his spine as he fell silent. Kazumi stared at him, visibly concerned as her pedipalps shifted, but didn’t press.

This would be harder than he thought.

 

~0~

 

“Here they come again!” Keisuke exclaimed, standing, and Nejibana clicked in outrage, standing herself and hopping over to Kenta, curling back up in his hair as the two racers sped around the corner into sight and back out again at the next, faster than they had before. “They’re both still going strong. How intense. They’re getting me excited to see the outcome.”

 **“Then Levin looks different from the first round.”** Ryousuke commented, his eyes narrowing as his tail lashed at the air. **“He must have been holding out. He’s good.”**

 

~0~

 

 _“His style’s changed!”_ Takumi growled. _“He’s so fast that I’m having a bit of a hard time keeping up. I can’t relax at all!”_

 ** _‘As much as we dislike this, it means that he had been holding out on us!’_ **Spider hissed dangerously in his head. ** _‘We are offended by this slight!’_** Takumi grit his teeth as sweat ran down his face and dripped from his nose, his fangs beginning to cut into his lower lip and drawing blood.

 _“I refuse to lose now!”_ he growled. _“I’ll chase him until I can’t!”_

 ** _‘HUNT! HUNT! HUNT! HUNT!’_** Spider chanted loudly in his head.

_“Yes, hunt, and now that the 86 is finally listening to me, it will be easier than I first thought!”_

**_‘We want to win. We want to win!’_ **

_“The desire to win has never been this strong in either of us before, do you think it’s because he drives an 86 as well?”_

**_‘Whatever the reason may be, we desire it, and we are not the most patient of arachnids. WE WILL HAVE THIS VICTORY!’_ **

_“I’ll win in this new 86, I swear it!”_ as he drifted around the corner, the landslide came into view and he winced as he drove over it, feeling the 86 vibrate wildly and get thrown towards the guardrail once again, nearly hitting it for a second time. _“That was close.”_

**_‘We lost focus for a moment, we must not risk something like that again.’_ **

_“Right, or I’ll lose more than just this race.”_ Takumi nearly choked when he felt the 86 begin to wobble as he drove, the tires slipping slightly as he continued forward on the straight.

 ** _‘We are not tired.’_** Spider announced.

 _“Then why is the car wobbling?”_ he asked, before it came to him as he flew into the next drift. _“THE TIRES! NOT NOW!”_

 ** _‘Rear traction seems to be slipping.’_** Spider commented.

_“Obviously, racing out here is strenuous on the car, the rear tires are losing grip!”_

**_‘That doesn’t sound good.’_ **

_“It isn’t, and we’ve come too far to stop and adjust the tires now. We might actually lose!”_

**_‘NO! WE WON’T LOSE!’_ **Spider roared. **_‘WE MUST WIN!’_**

 _“We’re losing speed! It’s only a matter of time-”_ he cut himself off when something caught his attention. _“Wait, if we’re losing speed, why isn’t he pulling away? Is he experiencing the same issue as I am? It’s the only explanation!”_

 

 

~0~

 

Wataru felt agitation climb his spine as they drifted around again and came to a stop. He held up four fingers and Takumi nodded, quickly starting forward as he followed behind.

 _“My rear tires are slipping, so yours must be too.”_ he growled. _“The power increase puts more stress on the tires, and our cars have been running at the same pace this whole time. Of course we’d be having the same problem, it’s only logical.”_ his pedipalps shifted as he watched Takumi follow the line almost perfectly.

Truly, it was impressive to watch.

_“He’s a good racer, it’s obvious from behind. The worse road conditions get, the better he seems to drive. But he’s not invincible! This is a test of endurance, and I’ll be victorious!”_

 

~0~

 

Takumi relaxed slightly as he led, his eyes catching a glimpse of the three Red Suns watching his race as he drifted by.

_“You know, this slippery tires make it easier for me to visualize just what my car can do. It feels… almost natural.”_

**_‘So we like the lacking grip?’_** Spider asked.

 _“Absolutely. The 86 is now running just how I want her to. It’s got me excited! Time to truly meet the new 86!”_ he sped ahead of Wataru, gaining distance, and turned back around, allowing Wataru to retake the lead as they started up the course again. Unlike the last runs, he was silent, even Spider had halted his commentary as Takumi focused on keeping even with the 86 in front of him. He narrowed his eyes and clicked a little. _“I step on the accelerator to swing, just like before, but this time I see one major difference when drifting at this speed.”_ he grinned ferally. _“Dad will be pleased to know that I’ve figured out how to control the car once more!”_

 

~0~

 

 _“What round is this?”_ Wataru asked himself, vaguely dazed. _“I’m starting to space out a little. That means I’m getting tired, but that should mean that he is too. At this stage, it’s more mentally exhausting to follow than to lead. A little difference in speed won’t be enough to take the lead. You can only lose while falling behind, it’s impossible to lose while leading.”_ he smirked. _“The next corner is that landslide, there’s no way he’ll have enough space to sneak by me. I’m safe, for this round at least.”_ his vision blurred momentarily and he raised two of his limbs to smack his cheeks.

He can’t start zoning out now.

 _“I have to keep this up for as long as it takes for you to lose focus and make an error!”_ as they made their way past the roadblock, Wataru’s eyes widened as Takumi caught him off guard.

He was attempting to pass him by driving directly over the landslide.

 _“WHAT!?”_ his eyes darted forward, and he saw it. The mud and first on the road had been cleared off the road by their race. His eyes locked on the form of the other 86 pulling up beside his own.

It was the most insane thing he had ever witnessed a racer do. He clicked rapidly in alarm.

 _“HE SHOULDN’T BE SO RECKLESS! IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO PASS ME HERE!”_ as he yelled that, Takumi hit a bump and flew into the air by a few centimeters, jumping ahead of Wataru and forcing himself into the lead. _“He… he’s insane… and he won… damn it, I can’t believe I didn’t notice that the mud and dirt had been cleared out. It created just enough of an opening for him to squeeze by me.”_ he tisked and grit his teeth, before he relaxed and smiled. He was truly impressed. _“He accurately gauged that space and knew he could squeeze by. He’s way out of my league.”_

 

~0~

 

Takumi sighed sadly as he watched Itsuki stare into the distance by the pumps, a depressed look on his face. He’d been like this since Takumi had picked him up after the race, having stayed silent while in the car. The arachnid really didn’t like it.

“Hey, Takumi,” Kenji whispered beside him, making him jump. “Itsuki’s been acting really weird lately. Have any idea what’s up?” Takumi’s frown deepened.

“Well, you’ll find out eventually so I might as well tell you.” Iketani approached their group at that, vaguely curious. The girl he really likes got in trouble with her family, and is being forced to move back to Saitama. Itsuki never got to confess to her, and it too afraid to do it when she’s just going to go away and never come back.”

“Ah.” Iketani’s expression was mournful. “That’s terrible. I honestly thought that he’d be able to hit it off with her, and that they’d make it. Poor kid.” Takumi heard footsteps and looked up, stiffening when his eyes locked on Kazumi.

“Wh…” Kenji and Iketani looked over as well and widened their eyes.

“Itsuki.” she called, and Itsuki looked over at her, his eyes widening.

“Kazumi?! Didn’t you go back to Saitama!?”

“I did, but it was all so sudden that I hadn’t been given any time to collect my things. But I also came back to talk to you about a few things before I actually return. Do you have a minute?”

“I-I really don’t-”

“Itsuki!” Yuichi called, catching everyone’s attention. “You have the rest of the day off. Get changed, then skedaddle!” Itsuki was quick to do just that, and drove up to Kazumi with his car, letting her get in before driving off.

“She’s going to break his heart, isn’t she?” Iketani asked rhetorically, and Yuichi chuckled tonelessly.

“Maybe.” he responded. “But as of now, she’s the most important thing to him. Whatever does happen, he’s going to come back changed.”

 

~0~

 

It was sunset when Itsuki finally brought Kazumi back to the station. They had driven around, watching the leaves fall as she talked about how lovely of a time she’d had, and Itsuki’s heart ached.

“Itsuki, it was wonderful to finally get to say goodbye.” Kazumi said, smiling sweetly, and Itsuki felt his courage mount.

“This doesn’t have to be goodbye.” he finally got out, and she looked taken aback.

“What do you mean?”

“Goodbye means that we won’t ever talk again. Say farewell instead. Farewell just means that we’ll meet again one day.”

“Really?” she asked, sounding genuinely surprised, and he nodded.

“And you want to know something else, Kazumi?” as she tilted her head, he knew that this was it. “It’s funny, but I think I had started developing a crush on you.” her eyes widened.

“A crush?” she croaked. “On me?”

“Yeah.” he chuckled.

“B-But I’m-”

“That shouldn’t matter. Takumi warned me about how relationships between mortals and Jorōgumo always went but to be honest? I didn’t think it had mattered.” he turned his eyes downwards to the dash of his 85. “But I’ve realized that just the idea of us being friends makes me happy enough, so all I want is to keep in contact. I want you to be happy, Kazumi, because you deserve it, and if nothing here in Gunma can give you that happiness, then I’ll support you going elsewhere.” Kazumi looked genuinely flabbergasted, before a gentle smile crossed her face.

“You’re a really sweet human, Itsuki.” she commented, before pulling a slip of paper and a pen out of her bag and writing a number down on it, handing it to Itsuki. “My cell. Text me whenever, alright?” and with that, she got out of the car, waved at him cheerily, and hurried into the station, vanishing into the crowd.

 

~0~

 

Keisuke walked up to stand beside Ryousuke, their eyes locked on the cars  from the Night Kids' first and second as they practiced, the rest of the Red Suns and watching from behind them.

“Aniki.” he started, and he felt his brother’s eyes on him. “How’s recruiting for the Gunma team going?”

“I’ve picked out candidates to speak with, it’s just up to them whether or not they join up.” Ryousuke smiled slyly at Keisuke. “And I know that you know one of the candidates I have in mind.”

Keisuke smiled brightly, excited for what the future had in store.

It was looking to be an exciting adventure.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THAT'S THE END OF VOLUME TWO! GOD, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'VE STUCK AROUND SINCE THE FIRST VOLUME WAS STILL BEING UPDATED! TWO FICS FINISHED IN TWO MONTHS, THE INSANITY OF IT ALL!
> 
> I'm so eager to watch all of the 3rd Stage and translate it into this universe, it'll be so fun.
> 
> Volume Three will be out eventually, so keep your eyes peeled for it.


End file.
